The family of Border Security Force (BSF) Constable Jaswinder Singh is demanding justice after he died in custody during an investigation. Constable Jaswinder died 50 days ago, and the family is still awaiting answers as the probe remains mired in delays due to missing evidence and several unanswered questions.
The case has now entered a serious phase with major concerns emerging over the disappearance of crucial CCTV footage and the continued delay in receiving the viscera report, considered vital to determining the exact cause of death.
According to officials, the case stemmed from an investigation launched by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drug-related matter.
The 35-year-old Jaswinder Singh, posted with 42 Battalion in Tripura, died on March 30. Singh was reportedly picked up for questioning by the NCB on March 3 while he was on leave and travelling with his mother for medicines.
His family alleges that during the detention period, they were denied access to him and remained unaware of his condition. The family later claimed that Jaswinder managed to make a distress call from the NCB office in Jammu, saying he was being severely tortured by officials.
The allegations gained further traction after the post-mortem examination reportedly revealed 34 external injuries on his body, including injuries to his private parts. The autopsy also showed more than 25 torture marks inflicted on the body two to four days prior to his death. However, the exact cause of death has been kept pending until the receipt of the chemical examiner’s report from Kharar, further fuelling suspicion surrounding the case.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently intervened in the matter and directed authorities to preserve CCTV footage from both the private hospital where Jaswinder was admitted and the NCB office where he had been detained.
The family on Saturday raised questions and said, “It has been two months. Why has the viscera report not been given? We have the post-mortem report, which clearly indicates custodial torture. Why has no action been taken on it? The authorities should have registered an FIR and arrested the suspected officials.”
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