More than three decades after Ludhiana-based transporter Amrik Singh Sakri allegedly disappeared from a wedding function while in police custody, a Special CBI Court in Mohali has convicted former Punjab Police officer Gurmeet Singh Randhawa in the case. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, bringing a significant development in a case that dates back to November 25, 1992.
The court convicted Randhawa under Sections 365 (kidnapping or abduction with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, co-accused Parminderjit Singh alias Babbu was acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence against him.
The court is scheduled to pronounce the quantum of sentence for Randhawa on Thursday, November 12. Despite the conviction, Amrik Singh's whereabouts remain unknown, leaving his family without answers even after 34 years.
Transporter Picked Up From Ludhiana Wedding Function in 1992
The case dates back to November 25, 1992, when Amrik Singh Sakri, a transporter from Ludhiana, attended a wedding function at Hotel Amaltas, also known as Batash Hotel, in the city. He had arrived to attend the wedding of his brother-in-law's daughter.
According to the CBI investigation, a team of Tarn Taran Police allegedly took Amrik Singh away from the wedding venue. Gurmeet Singh Randhawa, who was serving as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Tarn Taran at the time, was among the police officers linked to the case.
The CBI investigation also found that information about Amrik Singh's arrest had been communicated to senior officials through a telegram. However, despite repeated efforts by his family, including appeals to then Chief Minister Beant Singh and senior authorities, his whereabouts could not be established.
His disappearance subsequently became the subject of a prolonged legal battle.
Supreme Court Intervention Led to CBI Investigation
Seeking information about her husband's whereabouts, Amrik Singh's wife approached the Supreme Court in 1996 by filing a habeas corpus petition.
During the proceedings, the Punjab government informed the court that Amrik Singh had died and submitted records relating to his last rites. However, his family refused to accept the government's account.
The matter was subsequently taken up as part of the wider investigation into cases involving unidentified and unclaimed bodies allegedly cremated by the Punjab Police.
Following Supreme Court directions, the CBI initiated a preliminary inquiry in January 1999 and registered a regular case in February 2000. In November 2001, the agency filed a chargesheet against five police personnel in connection with the case.
The investigation was part of a wider examination of alleged illegal cremations and disappearances during the period of militancy in Punjab.
Trial Delayed for Years, Finally Began in 2022
Despite the chargesheet being filed in 2001, the case remained pending for years due to legal proceedings initiated by the accused police officials before higher courts.
Although charges had been framed in 2004, the trial could not progress for a prolonged period. It eventually began in 2022.
The CBI had initially listed 47 witnesses in the case, but only 16 could be examined during the trial. Several witnesses died before their statements could be recorded, further complicating the proceedings.
The case also faced another major hurdle when several important documents were found missing from the court record. These reportedly included witness statements, photographs and videos of the wedding function, along with police vehicle logbooks.
Following directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the missing court records were reconstructed. The victim's family and its lawyers had alleged that important evidence was deliberately removed to obstruct the legal proceedings. However, this remained an allegation made by the family.
Three Accused Police Personnel Died During Proceedings
The case originally involved five police personnel who were chargesheeted by the CBI in 2001. Apart from Gurmeet Singh Randhawa and Parminderjit Singh alias Babbu, the accused included ASI Jaswant Singh, SI Surinder Singh and SHO Suba Singh.
The proceedings against the three other police personnel ended following their deaths during the prolonged legal process.
The then SSP Ajit Singh Sandhu was also identified in the investigation as an alleged key conspirator. However, he died during the course of the investigation, before the case could reach trial.
With the latest verdict, Randhawa is the only accused among those who faced trial to have been convicted, while Parminderjit Singh has been acquitted.
Family Continues to Wait for Answers After 34 Years
According to Amrik Singh's nephew, Dilbag Singh, his uncle was taken away from the wedding venue by a group of six police personnel. The family began searching for him the following day but failed to establish his whereabouts.
The conviction marks a significant development in the family's decades-long legal struggle. However, it does not resolve the central question of what happened to Amrik Singh after he was allegedly taken into police custody.
Even after 34 years, his family has not received definitive information about his fate.
The sentencing proceedings scheduled for November 12 are now expected to be another crucial stage in the case, which has remained unresolved for more than three decades.