A Special CBI Court in Mohali, Punjab, on Saturday, 4 July sentenced former Punjab Police Head Constable Kashmir Singh to five years of rigorous imprisonment for his role in the abduction of Baljit Singh from Tarn Taran district in 1991. The court also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on the convict, according to a statement issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Background: The 1991 Abduction

According to the CBI, on 7 August 1991, Baljit Singh was forcibly taken by accused Punjab Police officials and detained at Police Station Chabal, Tarn Taran, for approximately 10 days. During this period, his family members were permitted to meet him on alternate days. After the 10-day detention, the accused officers denied any knowledge of Baljit Singh's custody or whereabouts — effectively causing his disappearance.

The case was brought to light after Baljit Singh's wife filed a Criminal Writ Petition before the High Court of Punjab and Haryana. Acting on a court order dated 27 January 2006, the CBI registered the case on 20 March 2006. The complaint named four Punjab Police personnel: Suba Singh, Station House Officer (SHO) of Police Station Chabal; Dalbir Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI); Kashmir Singh, Head Constable; and Ravel Singh, Constable.

Chargesheet and Earlier Convictions

Following its investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet on 26 April 2007 against all four accused. The Special CBI Court, Mohali, on 29 March 2023, convicted three of the accused — Dalbir Singh, Suba Singh, and Ravel Singh — sentencing each to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000.

Kashmir Singh, however, had absconded during the trial and was officially declared a Proclaimed Offender on 21 July 2010, delaying justice for over a decade and a half.

Fugitive Arrested After 15 Years on the Run

After evading law enforcement for more than 15 years, Kashmir Singh was arrested by the CBI on 12 November 2025. Charges were formally framed against him on 2 March 2026. On Saturday, the Special CBI Court held him guilty of criminal conspiracy and abduction, handing down a sentence identical to that already served on his co-accused.

This is the final conviction in a case that spanned over three decades — from the alleged abduction in 1991 to the CBI's registration of the case in 2006, the first set of convictions in 2023, and now the sentencing of the last remaining accused in 2026.

Significance of the Verdict

The case is notable for its origins in the turbulent period of militancy in Punjab during the early 1990s, when allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial detentions by security forces were widespread. The conviction of all four accused, though spread over years, signals that accountability proceedings from that era continue to move through the judicial system. Notably, this case was initiated on the basis of a High Court order responding to a petition filed by a victim's family — underscoring the role of judicial intervention in pursuing such cases.