Almost thirty years after the tragic abduction and murder of Punjab human rights advocate Jaswant Singh Khalra, Jaspal Singh, a former deputy superintendent of police and one of the key individuals convicted in the case, has once again gained media attention due to the controversy surrounding the film “Satluj,” which stars Diljit Dosanjh.
At 68 years old, Jaspal was granted interim bail in May 2023. Recently, officials from Nabha Open Air Jail requested a routine address verification from the Hoshiarpur police, as the address recorded in prison documents is located within that district.
This verification request follows the withdrawal of “Satluj” from an OTT platform, just 48 hours after its release, which is centered on Khalra’s life and his mysterious disappearance. Jaspal’s character plays a significant role in the film, reigniting discussions about one of Punjab’s most notorious human rights violations.
Sandeep Malik, Senior Superintendent of Police in Hoshiarpur, informed The Indian Express, “While I have not yet received any formal communication regarding this matter, I am aware that Nabha Open Air Jail has sent some notification. Since his registered address is in Hoshiarpur district, we have been tasked with providing the necessary details. The request for a whereabouts check is standard procedure for someone on interim bail; it is not unusual.”
Efforts to reach Chanchal Kumari, the Superintendent of Nabha Open Air Jail, for comments were unsuccessful.
Police insiders clarified that the verification should not be interpreted as an indication that Jaspal is evading authorities. They emphasized that individuals released on bail are not obligated to stay at the address initially provided, and periodic address checks are a normal part of administrative protocol. Furthermore, it was noted that the Hoshiarpur police were only asked to confirm the address while Jaspal remains under the authority of Nabha prison officials.
Official records indicate that Jaspal’s hometown is Cheema Nagar in Jalandhar district, while another recorded address is in Majhi village, Hoshiarpur district.
Jaspal Singh was a central figure in the abduction and murder of Khalra, who went missing from his residence in Amritsar on September 6, 1995, just six days after the assassination of the Punjab chief minister Beant Singh on August 31, 1995.
Khalra had revealed allegations regarding the unlawful cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies during the turbulent period of militancy in Punjab.
Following an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Jaspal and several other members of the Punjab Police were charged with Khalra’s abduction, illegal confinement, murder while in police custody, and tampering with evidence.
The prosecution claimed that Khalra was killed inside a police station, and his remains were reportedly disposed of in a canal near Harike to eliminate evidence.
In November 2005, a CBI court in Patiala found Jaspal guilty of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, murder, and evidence destruction, sentencing him to life imprisonment. His conviction was later upheld by both the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2007 and the Supreme Court in 2011. Among the six police officers convicted, Jaspal held the highest rank. The other convicted individuals included sub-inspectors Amarjit Singh, Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh, and Jasbir Singh, along with head constable Prithipal Singh.
In 2017, Jaspal Singh sought an application for premature release, but this request was denied by the central government, according to sources.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many inmates were released on parole or interim bail as a result of a Supreme Court-mandated committee’s directives to alleviate prison overcrowding. Jaspal was released in November 2021 under this initiative.
Subsequently, a court order on August 16, 2022, instructed him to surrender, but in May 2023, the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Patiala granted him interim bail. The release warrant specified that he would be released from Nabha Open Air Jail upon the submission of bail bonds totaling Rs 1 lakh. He has remained out on bail since that time.
For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram.
