Ranjit Singh encounter: Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira urges SC to take suo motu action

Chandigarh: Punjab Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira urged the Chief Justice of India to take suo motu cognisance of what he described as the alleged extrajudicial killing of 19-year-old Ranjit Singh by the Punjab Police in Gurdaspur district. In his letter, Khaira claimed the incident reflected a broader and troubling pattern of alleged fake encounters in the state.Khaira requested the court invoke its jurisdiction under Articles 32 and 142 of the Constitution, and prayed that his letter be treated either as a writ petition or as grounds for suo motu action. He argued that the matter concerns the fundamental right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution, which, he said, cannot be taken away except through due process of law.
In the letter, Khaira referred to the case of Ranjit Singh, a 19-year-old first-year Bachelor of Arts student from Gurdaspur district, who was killed on Feb 25 in what the police described as an encounter. Khaira said Ranjit Singh was allegedly picked up from his residence without a formal arrest memo, without being produced before a magistrate, and without informing his family, which he claimed was in violation of the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in D K Basu v. State of West Bengal regarding arrest and detention procedures. He also alleged that CCTV cameras in the locality were removed or disabled before the youth was taken away.The letter added that the family claimed that Ranjit Singh had no prior criminal record or history of violence. Khaira also questioned the police account of the events leading to the encounter, in which the youth was allegedly described as an operative linked to Pakistan's ISI.The Congress leader also alleged that no FIR was registered against the police personnel involved, and that no independent magisterial inquiry was ordered so far. He further claimed that there was no compliance with the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in PUCL v. State of Maharashtra regarding investigation of encounter deaths.In his representation, Khaira stated that the case should not be viewed in isolation and referred to what he described as a pattern of similar encounters in the state. He cited another incident from Jan 2026, involving a person identified as Karan Pathak, which he claimed followed a similar sequence of events while the individual was in police custody.Khaira also referred to observations made earlier this year by the Punjab and Haryana high court about rising concerns related to criminal activity in the state.In his plea to the apex court, Khaira sought directions for a comprehensive investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the death of Ranjit Singh. He also requested that the probe examine what he described as a broader pattern of encounter killings.The letter further requested the court direct the registration of FIRs against the police personnel involved in the incident, order forensic examination of post-mortem and ballistic evidence, and investigate the alleged removal or disabling of CCTV cameras.Khaira also urged the court to direct the National Human Rights Commission to conduct an independent inquiry into the alleged pattern of encounter killings in Punjab, and to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court guidelines governing police encounters. MSID:: 129082390 413 |