PANTHIC.org

"Pinky killed countless young Sikhs throughout the years."

Ludhiana, Punjab - The ‘protection’ enjoyed by Inspector Gurmeet Singh alias 'Pinky' by the Punjab Police can be gauged from the fact that despite his having been found guilty of murder, he has not been suspended from the force let alone been arrested. With this kind of patronage at hand, Golas’s family fear that before October 9 when the court is due to assemble to announce Pinky’s punishment, the accused may flee from the country.

This terrorist-turned-cat-turned-cop has a notorious past. Enjoying proximity with a large section of terrorists in Punjab, Pinky, it has been learned, traded information with the Punjab Police then in the nineties he became a 'cat'. It is said that, so true was the information passed on by Pinky, that he soon became an important tool for the police to fight terrorism.

He became a core member of DGP S S Virk’s team which was comprised of officers like Sumedh Saini and Shiv Kumar to name a few. Pinky’s information led to some successful encounters and the arrest of some terrorists which earned him a permanent place in the police. In the mid nineties Pinky was inducted in the police as a Havaldar from where he rose to the present post of Inspector and was before this verdict serving as Incharge CIA staff, Fatehgarh Sahib. The police of this district is waiting for the court’s orders to reach them before taking any action against Pinky.

Even as Pinky has been convicted, his five accomplices — Ravinder Pal Bittu, Pawan Kumar, Parveen Kumar, Paramjeet Pammi and Jaswant Singh Punnu dairy wala — walked scot free.

Victim’s family wants to see Pinky hanged

The family of Avtar Singh alias Gola who on January 7, 2001 was gunned down by Inspector Gurmeet Singh alias Pinky and his gunmen says nothing brings happiness to them now.

‘‘The Yamunanagar Sessions Court’s verdict of announcing Pinky guilty of this crime has brought us some sense of relief. We are at peace now after almost six years of struggle against the most powerful machinery of this state. But a complete sense of peace will come when Pinky’s punishment is announced,’’ says 49-year-old Amrik Singh, Gola’s father. Amrik Singh thanks his lawyers Navkiran SIngh, R Bains and Amar Singh Chahal who did not charge any money for his defense.

Telling how his son was killed, Amrik Singh says, ‘‘My son had gone to buy some flowers for the Ram Sharan Mandir and on his way back he found this road blocked by Pinky’s gunmen. Gola was accompanied by five other boys. All they had asked from the gunmen, who were drunk, was to leave some space on the road so that they could pass. But the gunmen started beating them mercilessly. I got the news and immediately went to the spot with some of my neighbours and before we could intervene they shot my only son right in front of my eyes. Gola was shot with a .38 bore gun which was an official weapon while I was shot with a .30 bore gun. The gunmen also fired indiscriminately with an AK 47.’’ After that incident people from all walks of life extended their support to the aggrieved family.

‘‘Since that day we have been fighting a huge battle. My neighbours who were eyewitnesses to the incident turned hostile. Pinky would come to our place and threaten us with dire consequences. He even went to all our relatives and threatened them too. No one comes to meet us. Pinky’s family even lured us with an offer of Rs 2 crore, a house and arrangement for the marriages of our daughters. But what would we do with all that when everything ended with the death of my son,’’ says Amrik.

Avtar Singh’s mother Charanjeet says, ‘‘I do not remember the last time I was happy. We had fixed our son’s marriage alliance. He had bought this car. Now everything is here but he is gone.’’

Gola’s sister Simran says, ‘‘We are not scared of anything now. If Pinky appeals to a higher court we will follow him there. We want nothing less than a death sentence for him.”