Although the official report is not out, lawyers for the family claim that Ranjit’s body showed two bullet marks on opposite sides of his chest.
The death of 19-year-old Ranjit Singh in Gurdaspur has sparked significant controversy, with his family and local unions alleging a “fake encounter” by the police. Following strict orders from the court, the post-mortem of the youth was conducted on Tuesday at the Gurdaspur Civil Hospital.
The post-mortem was carried out by a board of three doctors under heavy security. To ensure transparency, the entire process was video-recorded and monitored by Chief Judicial Magistrate Surekha Dadwal. The medical board reportedly included two forensic experts from Government Medical College, Amritsar, and one doctor from Gurdaspur.
Although the official report is not out, lawyers for the family claim that Ranjit’s body showed two bullet marks on opposite sides of his chest.
The court has also ordered a medical board to investigate injuries sustained by CIA In-charge Gurmeet Singh. The police claim Ranjit fired at Gurmeet Singh during an encounter, injuring his hand.
However, Ranjit’s family alleges that the officer’s injury might be self-inflicted to cover up a custodial death. The court has specifically asked doctors to determine if the gunshot wound on the officer was fired by someone else or by himself.
Family Demands Justice
Ranjit’s family, supported by farmer and student unions, initially refused the post-mortem, demanding it be done at a major institute like PGI Chandigarh. They only agreed after senior police officials visited their village to assure them of a fair process.
The family has stated they will not cremate the body until they feel justice is being served. They also reported feeling pressured by the police to finish the last rites quickly. It was also noted that Ranjit’s father is currently in a Dubai jail following an accident, adding to the family’s hardship.
The police had accused Ranjit and two others of being involved in the killing of a police officer and a home guard on February 21. They claim Ranjit escaped custody and was killed in a shootout when they tried to re-arrest him. The family, however, maintains he was killed during interrogation.
The court has ordered all call records (CDR), GPS locations, and CCTV footage from February 20 to February 28, 2026, to be preserved as evidence. The next hearing for the case is scheduled for March 6.
