In HC plea, kin claim gangster shot at point-blank range, seek autopsy

Chandigarh, June 15

Claiming that the nature of injuries showed alleged gangster Jaipal Singh Bhullar was shot at point-blank range, his retired police officer father today moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking second post-mortem from an independent medical institute.

In his petition, Bhupinder Singh through counsel Simranjit Singh sought issuance of directions to the state of Punjab to conduct a second post-mortem either at the PGIMER, Chandigrah; AIIMS, Delhi; or some other independent institute “to know the exact detail and nature of the injuries caused due to police torture on the various parts of the body”.

Simranjit Singh also expressed apprehension on the petitioner’s behalf that the Punjab Police were in a position to manage the second post-mortem report in their favour. A chance of second free and fair post-mortem report was, as such, nil. He contended request to the Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner to conduct a second post-mortem already stood declined, adding it was difficult to keep the victim’s body at the petitioner’s house for long due to summer. In an attempt to substantiate his prayer, he also referred to Supreme Court and High Court judgments, where second post-mortem was ordered in similar circumstances.

As of now, the petition has only been filed in the High Court and is yet to come up for hearing. Jaipal and another person were killed in an encounter with the Special Task Force of West Bengal Police in Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon. Jaipal’s father and relatives claimed that they spotted some “unusual marks” on the body, raising suspicion. — TNS