Nabha Jail Orders Punjab Police to Locate Former DSP in Khaira Murder Case Nabha Open Agriculture Jail authorities have directed the Hoshiarpur police to trace the whereabouts of former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jaspal Singh, who is currently on bail in the Khaira murder case. The directive comes amid renewed scrutiny of the case, which involves the 1995 killing of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khaldara. The jail administration has emphasized the urgency of locating the accused, who was granted bail in May 2023 under a private bond of ₹1 lakh. Jaspal Singh, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Khaira case, was released on bail in May 2023 after the Punjab government submitted a mercy petition to the state governor. The petition, which was pending for over three months, was processed under a High Court ruling (COCP No. 2020/2022) that allows temporary release if the governor fails to respond within three months. The jail authorities have now instructed the Hoshiarpur police to track him down, citing concerns over his potential flight risk. The Khaira murder case, which remains a sensitive chapter in Punjab’s history, saw Jaswant Singh Khaldara, a prominent human rights advocate, killed in 1995. The case was initially tried by the CBI court in Patiala, which sentenced Jaspal Singh and three other police officers to life imprisonment in 2005. However, the High Court later reduced the sentences of four officers to seven years but upheld the life imprisonment for Jaspal Singh. Despite the conviction, the former DSP was repeatedly granted temporary release, including during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The current legal battle over his bail stems from a government petition submitted in September 2022, which sought the governor’s approval for mercy.#punjab_government #nabha_open_agriculture_jail #hoshiarpur_police #jaspal_singh #jaswant_singh_khaldara
