1987 Ludhiana heist: SC acquits 9 convicted under TADA

Had been sentenced to 10-yr jail under TADA for looting Rs 5.7 cr from PNB branch

New Delhi, January 10

The Supreme Court on Tuesday acquitted nine people sentenced to 10-year jail under the anti-terror law TADA for looting Rs 5.7 crore from Punjab National Bank in Ludhiana that took place in 1987. The crime was then described as the biggest bank robbery in the country.

A Bench comprising Justices Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Rohinton Fali Nariman held that the CBI had failed to prove that the Rs 60 lakh recovered from the convicts were in fact part of the looted money, advocate RK Kapoor, who argued for a convict, said.

Among those convicted by TADA special judge, Ludhiana, on November 20, 2012, were Sikh Students Federation ex-President Daljit Singh Bittu and his close associate Gursharan Singh Gamma, who were allegedly working with Gen Labh Singh of the Khalistan Commando Force.

The special court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), which now stands repealed, had convicted and sentenced 13 accused persons. Two of the convicts withdrew their appeals in the apex court as they completed 10 years in jail in the absence of bail, while two died.

Among those who had come in appeal to the Supreme Court were Balwinder Singh, Harjinder Singh and Harbhajan Singh.

In its judgment, the TADA court had held that it was clearly established that the robbery was committed with the intention to either overawe the government or strike terror in a section of people.

According to the prosecution, the accused had committed the crime on February 12, 1987 by donning police uniform to enter the Millarganj branch of PNB at 9.45 am

Sikh Students Federation ex-president Daljit Singh Bittu and his associate Gursharan Singh Gama were held guilty by the TADA Special Judge, Ludhiana, on November 20, 2012. The two were allegedly working with ‘Gen’ Labh Singh of the Khalistan Commando Force. The TADA court said it had been clearly established that the robbery was committed “with the intention to either overawe the government or strike terror in a section of people”.

The prosecution told the court that Bittu and his accomplices, who were in police uniform, entered the Millarganj branch of the PNB at 9.45 am and left with the money without firing a shot. They took away old currency notes, not touching the new ones valued at Rs 10 crore, as claimed by the then bank chief manager, SN Malhotra, in his complaint to the police. 

The robbers, he said, overpowered the guard and threatened the bank employees and customers, who were made to squat on the floor. The special court, which now stands repealed, sentenced 13 of the accused. 

Bittu and Gama withdrew their appeal in the apex court on completing 10 years in jail without bail. Two others died. Balwinder Singh of Tahl village  and Harbhajan Singh of Sarin village in Jalandhar district and Harjinder Singh of Lalton village in Ludhiana moved the Supreme Court.

The others convicted in the case were: Harjinder Singh of Lalton village in Ludhiana, Balwinder Singh of Tahl village in Jalandhar, Mohan Singh of Katran Kala village of Jalandhar, Saroop Singh of Basrampur village in Jalandhar, Gurjant Singh of Kothe Sher Jang Road, Jagraon, Ludhiana, Avtar Singh of Kurali, Jalandhar, Harbhajan Singh of Sarin Village in Jalandhar, Sewa Singh of Chakran Raju Singh village in Hoshiarpur, Assa Singh of Badala Mahi in Hoshiarpur and Maan Singh of Bhajan Nagar, Ludhiana.

The nine accused
Were lodged in different jails in Punjab: 
Maan Singh Dholewal (central jail, ludhiana)
Gurjant Singh and Harjinder Singh Lalli (nabha jail)
Harbhajan Singh, Saroop Singh, Balwinder Singh, Sewa Singh, Avtar Singh and Mohan Singh (model jail, kapurthala)