Col Pushpinder Singh (in pic) and his son were allegedly assaulted by three Punjab Police SHOs in Patiala on March 13. (File Photo)A petition has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court demanding a time-bound Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into what it termed the “staged encounter” of 22-year-old Jaspreet Singh, a Canadian student, by Punjab Police in Patiala on March 13.The petition has been filed by Gurtej Singh Dhillon, the brother-in-law of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, who was allegedly assaulted by the same police team on the same night. Dhillon has contended that the Punjab Police cannot be expected to conduct an impartial investigation into its own officers’ role and alleged that the killing violated Jaspreet’s right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.According to the plea, Jaspreet, a student visiting from Vancouver, was shot dead in an encounter reported by the police in FIR No. 29, registered under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including conspiracy and assault, and under Section 25 of the Arms Act at Sadar Nabha Police Station. The petition highlights that a post-mortem report, annexed as evidence, recorded seven injuries on Jaspreet’s body. Three of the fatal wounds to the chest and forehead showed tattooing marks, typically caused by close-range gunfire.Also Read | ‘Trying to create craters’: HC slams Chandigarh police, gives the case to CBI“This directly contradicts the police version that they fired defensively from a distance and aimed for his legs,” the petition read. It further alleges that Jaspreet had already surrendered when he was taken to a samadh (memorial site) and shot, with an ambulance pre-arranged at the scene, suggesting “premeditation and intent to kill.”Dhillon’s plea also questions the integrity of the ongoing police probe, pointing out that officers involved in the encounter were reportedly rewarded with promotions and Rs 10 lakh, raising fears of institutional bias. It urges the High Court to step in and entrust the investigation to the CBI to “restore public faith in the rule of law.”The petition draws on Supreme Court-mandated safeguards against police excesses in its 2014 People’s Union for Civil Liberties ruling, which require independent and impartial investigations in all encounter killings, especially when officers of the same force are under suspicion. “A credible probe cannot be carried out by those who stand accused,” Dhillon argues.Jaspreet’s killing has already prompted another petition (CRM M-23707/2025) by his parents, who also allege foul play. Dhillon’s plea expresses concern that the family may be pressured into withdrawing their petition, leaving the truth of the killing unexamined.Story continues below this adAdvocates Navkiran Singh, Rubina N Singh, and Harpreet Kaur, representing Dhillon, argue that the case “goes beyond one family’s loss” and that “every encounter killing that bypasses due process shakes public confidence in the justice system.”The petition invokes Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which preserves the High Court’s inherent powers to secure the ends of justice, along with Section 15(6)(b) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which calls for day-to-day hearings to prevent delays in cases involving SC/ST members.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:fake encounterPunjab Police