Former Punjab SSP Gurmeet Singh Randhawa Convicted in 34-Year-Old Transporter Disappearance Case

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mohali has convicted former Punjab Police SSP Gurmeet Singh Randhawa in the 34-year-old case involving the abduction and disappearance of transporter Amrik Singh Sakri from a wedding function in Ludhiana. The court announced its verdict on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, and is scheduled to pronounce the sentence on November 12.
 

The court, however, acquitted Parminderjit Singh, who served as the security guard of the police officer concerned, giving him the benefit of the doubt.
 

According to lawyers representing the victim's family, including Sarabjit Singh Verka, the incident dates back to November 25, 1992. Amrik Singh was allegedly picked up by a police team from Tarn Taran while he was attending his niece's wedding at Hotel Amaltas in Ludhiana. He remained missing thereafter.
 

In 1996, Sakri's wife approached the Supreme Court by filing a habeas corpus petition. The same year, the Supreme Court ordered a CBI investigation into allegations that the Punjab Police had cremated a large number of bodies by declaring them unclaimed and unidentified. The CBI also took over the investigation into Sakri's disappearance.
 

Acting on the Supreme Court's directions, the CBI registered a case in 2000. In 2001, it filed a charge sheet against Gurmeet Singh, then DSP (D), Tarn Taran; Inspector Suba Singh, the then Station House Officer of Khalra; Sub-Inspector Surinder Singh; Constable Parminderjit Singh alias Babbu; and Assistant Sub-Inspector Jaswant Singh.
 

The charge sheet stated that Amrik Singh Sakri was taken away by a Tarn Taran police team from Hotel Amaltas in Ludhiana on November 25, 1992, where he had gone to attend his niece's wedding.
 

Charges against the accused were framed in 2000. However, the trial remained suspended for nearly 22 years following court directions. According to the lawyers, proceedings resumed in 2022, but the record of evidence submitted by the CBI was found missing from the court.
 

The evidence was subsequently collected again following directions from the High Court. During the trial, 47 witnesses were cited, but only 16 could appear before the court. Several witnesses had died during the prolonged suspension of the proceedings.
 

Three of the accused — ASI Jaswant Singh, SI Surinder Singh and Inspector Suba Singh — also died during the intervening period. Consequently, proceedings against them were discontinued.
 

The court has now convicted former SSP Gurmeet Singh Randhawa, while acquitting security guard Parminderjit Singh. The sentence in Randhawa's case is scheduled to be pronounced on November 12.