Chandigarh, February 27 Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Friday sought an impartial probe into the death of Ranjit Singh, one of the three accused in the murder of two police officers in Gurdaspur, in an encounter with police.
His statement came amid questions raised by Ranjit's family over the encounter.
To prove its credibility, the Punjab government should order an investigation into the encounter, Jakhar said.
He said the version being put forward by the police is creating doubts among the public and is raising serious questions about the credibility of the government and the police.
"The government has lost the trust of the people, and citizens are no longer able to believe what it says. Therefore, to restore its lost credibility, it is essential for the government to come forward and order an impartial inquiry," Jakhar said here.
Ranjit, a resident of Adhian village here, was one of the three accused in the murder of two police officers in Gurdaspur. He was shot dead during an exchange of fire with police on Wednesday, officials have said.
Ranjit's mother had raised questions over the police encounter, saying that her son was picked up by police on Tuesday for questioning but later she came to know that he was shot dead.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Gurnam Singh and Home Guard Ashok Kumar were found dead on Sunday with gunshot wounds inside a checkpost in Adhian village, about 2 km from the international border with Pakistan.
Police later identified Ranjit Singh (19), Inderjit Singh (21), and Dilawar Singh (19) as the accused involved in killing the two police personnel "at the behest of their Pakistan-based handlers backed by the spy agency ISI".
Addressing a press conference here, Jakhar said the "staged encounters" are unacceptable in any civilized society.
He termed them a "gross violation" of human rights and added that, in the context of Punjab, it becomes even more important to conduct a serious investigation in such cases because the state has endured a long and painful history of fake encounters during its dark phase.
Jakhar clarified that he is neither saying who is guilty or innocent, nor is he claiming whether the encounter was fake or genuine.
However, he said, the police narrative is not being accepted by the public.
"The deceased's family and society at large are raising questions. It is astonishing that a young man escaped from police custody and, within a short time -- late at night -- managed to obtain a motorcycle and a weapon, only to be killed in an encounter at the next checkpoint," Jakhar said.
Answers to such questions, he said, can only emerge through an impartial investigation.
He emphasised that even if someone is guilty, the authority to punish lies with the courts.
"When the police themselves act as judges and deliver punishment, it poses one of the gravest challenges to democracy. Therefore, a time-bound and impartial inquiry into the encounter is necessary, with the inclusion of social activists as well, so that the questions being raised about the police's credibility can be addressed," he said.
Even if the youth had indeed committed a crime, killing him in an encounter would be an even bigger crime, he said.
Jakhar further said that the police versions given after every encounter show striking similarities.
He said that even if the police account is true, the government must still come forward to order an impartial probe to prove its credibility.