Punjab Family Rejects Body, Demands CBI Probe in Encounter

February 27, 2026

The family of 19-year-old Ranjit Singh, fatally shot by Punjab Police in an alleged encounter in Gurdaspur, has refused to accept his body and is demanding an independent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), stirring a major controversy in the border district. The dispute erupted after police claimed Ranjit was killed during a search operation linked to the murder of two police personnel.

Ranjit, a Bachelor of Arts first-year student from Adhian village, was shot dead on Wednesday along with another youth, Dilawar Singh, who was arrested. Punjab Police asserted that the trio, including fugitive Inderjit Singh, was responsible for the killing of an Assistant Sub-Inspector and a Home Guard jawan at the Adhian checkpost earlier.

Family Rejects Official Version

Ranjit’s family vehemently rejected the police narrative, calling the encounter a “fake” and staged killing. They said that police took Ranjit from his home on the pretext of questioning him about the murders but later conveyed through media that he had been killed in an encounter. Ranjit’s mother, Sukhwinder Kaur, alleged that he was beaten during interrogation and died as a result, with authorities attempting to cover it up by labeling it an encounter.

The family has demanded that murder charges be registered against the police officers involved before they would accept Ranjit’s body for cremation. They also called for the post-mortem to be conducted by a panel of independent doctors rather than the usual process.

Calls for Independent Inquiry Intensify

Support for an independent investigation has grown beyond the bereaved family. Gurdaspur MP and senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa wrote to the union Home minister, urging a probe by either the CBI or the National Investigation Agency (NIA), citing conflicting accounts and a credibility deficit that state authorities may struggle to overcome.

Human rights organisations, including the Punjab Human Rights Organisation, have voiced serious concerns over the encounter, calling for transparency and justice. Activists, trade unions, and farm groups converged on Ranjit’s village, backing the demand for an impartial inquiry.

Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, such as Bikram Singh Majithia, visited the family and demanded that not only a CBI probe be initiated but that murder charges be invoked against senior state officials if wrongdoing is established. Majithia also alleged that Sikh youths in border areas are disproportionately targeted and urged accountability.

Contradictory Evidence and Public Doubts

The police claim to possess call data records and CCTV footage connecting the suspects to the murder of the ASI and Home Guard. However, family members contend that police removed or took charge of CCTV recordings from the village shortly after the incident, raising questions about procedural transparency.

Ranjit’s uncle, Harvinder Singh Malhi, says villagers can vouch for Ranjit’s character, asserting that he could not have committed such a serious crime. He stated that five other suspects seen on CCTV at the original crime scene have yet to be questioned, intensifying suspicions about the handling of the case.

Political and Public Response

The incident has drawn sharp reactions from political parties. Opposition figures such as Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal have criticised the Punjab Police and the AAP government’s handling of encounter cases, claiming that killings without transparent investigations undermine public trust.

Protests and demonstrations are being planned, including one backed by opposition groups scheduled for March 6, to demand justice and accountability. The demand for a CBI probe has become central to the broader debate over policing practices in Punjab’s border districts.