1991 Pilibhit killings: Life term for 47 cops

LUCKNOW: A special CBI court on Monday sentenced 47 policemen to life term for killing 10 Sikh pilgrims in a fake encounter in Pilibhit 25 years ago. Special judge Lallu Singh had on April 1 held the policemen guilty of a “fake encounter“. Fifty-seven policemen were charged, but 10 of them died during the trial.The court imposed a fine of Rs 11lakh on each convicted station officer, Rs 8 lakh on sub-inspectors and Rs 2.75 lakh on constables. Some of the convicts have retired from service, while others are still in job.The fine collected from them will be distributed among the family members of victims.The court issued attachment orders against nine convicts who were not present in the court. The victims' families hailed the verdict as the special judge announced it at 4pm. They family members of convicts said they will challenge the punishment in the high court. Special judge Lallu Singh said there was ample evidence against the accused to award them life imprisonment. The judge, however, declined to award the death penalty as demanded by the CBI counsel SC Jaiswal. The court had framed charged against the accused on January 20, 2003. On July 12, 1991, the policemen stopped a luxury bus filled with Sikh pilgrims and forced 10 passengers to get off. A chargesheet said they were divided into groups, taken to different areas in a jungle and killed in “cold blood“. The police had alleged that they were Khalistani terrorists. Later, acting on a PIL filed by advocate R S Sodhi, the Supreme Court handed over the probe to the CBI. Its investigations revealed that the motive behind the killings was to earn awards and recognition for killing “terrorists“.