Dehradun, New Delhi: A case of murder was registered against police officials involved in the killing of MBA graduate Ranbir Singh in an alleged fake encounter as pressure mounted on the BJP government in Uttarkhand on Tuesday to order a CBI probe.
The FIRs under section 302 (murder) IPC was lodged following a murder case against 14 police personnel registered by Ranbir's father Ravindra Pal Singh in Raipur police station late on Monday night, official sources said here on Tuesday, four days after the incident on Friday.
The accused included the then Dalanwala police station Inspector Santosh Jaiswal, the then Station House Officer at Nehru Colony Rajesh Bisht and the then Aaraghar police post in-charge G D Bhatt.
The policemen were booked even as the state's CB-CID led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vimla Gunjyal formally commenced investigations collecting evidence at various places including the spot in Ladpur jungles where 22-year-old Singh was allegedly killed in the encounter.
In New Delhi, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) demanded a CBI probe into the incident saying, "truth should come out expeditiously". Ranbir's autopsy report revealed he was shot at close range and may have been tortured.
Protests continued in the state against the killing of Singh, who was from the Jat community which is seeking an independent CBI probe. Ranbir's father also said he was not satisfied with the investigation conducted by the state government so far and wanted a probe by CBI.
Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank says his government was open for a CBI probe.
"I have full faith in the CB-CID. But if the family members of Ranbir want a CBI probe into the matter, we will not shy away from it also," Nishank said after meeting Ranbir's father on Monday.