Ludhiana: A Ludhiana court has ordered murder charges against four police personnel, including an SHO, in the custodial death of recovery agent Deepak Shukla that rocked the state six years ago.The four cops are SI Richa Sharma (then SHO Division No. 5 police station), ASI Jaskaran Singh (then in charge of Kochar Market police post), ASI Charanjit Singh (then investigating officer) and constable Jugnu. The case was initially registered against Richa, Jaskaran and Charanjit, but the court has since ordered that Jugnu be named as well. Earlier, the cops were booked under charges of culpable homicide but the family insisted on murder charges and never gave up the fight. The local court has ordered charges under IPC 302, 166 (public servant disobeying law with intent to cause injury to any person), 166-A (public servant disobeying direction under law) and 34 (common intention).The court considered the judicial enquiry conducted by Ludhiana JMIC Palwinder Singh. The court order ( a copy of which is with TOI) mentions that in the final enquiry inquiry report, the JMIC spoke of the need to investigate the role of police officials as, prima facie, it appears Deepak died under mysterious circumstances. The testimony of Jagraon senior medical officer Dr Gurbinder Kaur was also vital. She said that seven injuries were found on the body, all of them ante-mortem, which affected the lungs, kidneys, and heart, causing death. He had no chronic illnesses, the medical report said.The court order says, “After considering the evidence on record and applying judicial mind, this court is satisfied that there exists sufficient ground under section 204 CrPC to proceed against the accused under sections 302, 166, 166-A, read with section 34 IPC.” Deepak Shukla was taken into custody by police in a case of vehicle theft lodged at Division No. 5 police station. His family alleges Deepak was picked up on Feb 15, 2020, kept in illegal custody for a week and produced in court only on Feb 22, 2020. The court remanded him in police custody for two days.The family alleges that Deepak was arrested in the presence of his wife Preeti Shukla, who was also allegedly kept in illegal custody from the evening of Feb 15, 2020, to Feb 16, 2020, by the accused cops. Deepak’s family alleged that the cops demanded Rs 1.25 lakh to release him and Preeti, and that she was allowed to go only when the family gave Rs 25,000 to the cops. As the family did not meet the accused police personnel’s demand of bribe, they showed his arrest in a vehicle theft case and produced him in court.The family alleges he was mercilessly beaten in police custody. When produced in court on Feb 24, 2020, Deepak was sent to judicial custody but the accused cops allegedly kept him in their custody for the day and sent him to jail on Feb 25, 2020. Deepak’s father Vinod Shukla met him in Ludhiana Central Jail on Feb 26, 2020, and was shocked to find him injured and in a critical condition. He was bleeding from the mouth and had an IV drip in his arm. According to Shukla, Deepak told him that he was beaten brutally by cops from Feb 15, 2020, to Feb 24, 2020.That was the last time the family saw Deepak alive. He collapsed around 9.30pm on Feb 26, 2020, and died a few hours later.After Shukla’s death, the family staged a series of protests, pleading for a case against the cops, but in vain. They moved court and six months later, in Aug 2020, police registered a case against SI Richa Sharma and ASIs Charanjit Singh and Jaskaran Singh on court order for detaining Deepak in illegal custody and for contempt of court. The cops were suspended for some time but were reinstated. Again, on court orders, IPC section 304 (culpable homicide) was added in the FIR but the family kept fighting for murder charges against the cops. Box: Autopsy FindingsDr Gurbinder Kaur, SMO Jagraon, testified in court that seven injuries were found on the body of Deepak Shukla, and all these were ante-mortem in nature. Box: Arrest, custody & bribe charges — Deepak Shukla, an Ahmedgarh-based recovery agent, was taken into police custody on Feb 15, 2020 in connection with a vehicle theft case — Family alleged that he was kept in illegal custody for about a week and produced in court only on Feb 22, 2020— On Feb 22, the court granted two days’ police remand— Family claimed Deepak was apprehended in the presence of his wife Preeti Shukla, who was also allegedly kept in illegal custody from the evening of Feb 15 to Feb 16— Police allegedly demanded Rs 1.25 lakh for releasing Deepak and his wife— The family claimed that Rs 25,000 was paid, after which Preeti was allowed to leave; remaining amount was not paidAllegations of torture — As per the family, Deepak was formally arrested in the theft case and subjected to brutal beatings in custody— On Feb 24, 2020, court ordered Deepak to be sent to judicial custody, but police allegedly kept him in custody that day and sent him to jail only on Feb 25— Deepak’s father Vinod Shukla alleged that when he met his son in Ludhiana Central Jail on February 26, Deepak was critically injured, bleeding from the mouth and on an IV drip— Family claimed Deepak told his father he was assaulted by police officials between Feb 15 and Feb 24— Deepak reportedly collapsed in jail around 9.30pm on Feb 26 and died during the intervening night of Feb 26 and 27, 2020
