Former Inspector Suba Singh (82), convicted in the Tarn Taran fake encounter case, passed away at Rajindra Hospital in Patiala on Wednesday. He was critically injured in a jail attack on September 11 inside Patiala Central Jail. Suba Singh, along with former DSP Gurbachan Singh and inmate Inderjit Singh, was attacked by fellow prisoner Sandeep Singh, alias Sunny, a suspect in the 2022 murder of Hindu leader Sudhir Suri. Sunny reportedly used sharpened spoons to strike the victims on the head and face.
Gurbachan and Inderjit survived with medical attention. However, Suba Singh’s condition worsened, and despite surgery and ventilator support, he succumbed to his injuries. Suba Singh and his co-accused had been sentenced to life imprisonment in August for a 1993 fake encounter in which seven people died. Authorities are now adding murder charges against Sunny.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami raised concerns over Sunny’s treatment. He alleged that jail authorities subjected Sunny to custodial violence and denied him family access. Dhami also accused officials of ignoring a court order for a medical examination before transferring Sunny to Sangrur Jail. This controversy highlights ongoing issues regarding inmate safety and custodial practices in Punjab’s prisons.
