Faridkot Court Refuses to Close Evidence in 9-Year-Old Fake Encounter Case

Faridkot: In a significant development, the Faridkot district court has refused to close the prosecution evidence in the nine-year-old alleged fake encounter case of Kabaddi player Ajmer Singh, despite key complainants turning hostile.

Earlier this month, the court had framed murder and criminal conspiracy charges against six accused — including four Punjab Police officials and two Bathinda-based liquor contractors. Among them is Amarjit Singh Mehta, the current president of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA).

The case traces back to May 2016, when Ajmer Singh, popularly known as Jimmi, was killed during a late-night police patrol in Jaitu. While the police claimed self-defence, stating that Singh opened fire first, complainants alleged that the killing was a staged encounter orchestrated by liquor contractors Mehta and Dharampal Singh over business rivalry.

Rejecting the public prosecutor’s plea to shut the case after two prime witnesses, including complainant Manjit Kaur, turned hostile, Additional Sessions Judge Dinesh Kumar Wadhwa stressed that the authenticity of the encounter still needed full judicial scrutiny.

“The court cannot remain a mute spectator. It must actively ensure that justice is done,” the judge observed, directing that several eyewitnesses, government officials, and a judicial magistrate who had earlier investigated the case be summoned to testify.

The court also clarified that prosecution evidence cannot be closed merely because witnesses like Manjit Kaur and Sukhwinder Kaur withdrew support from their earlier statements.

The next hearing is scheduled for September 12, 2025, when fresh witnesses will be presented before the court.