Overview

• The Supreme Court dismissed the plea of nine Punjab police personnel to quash murder charges over the 2015 killing of driver Mukhjit Singh in Amritsar.
• The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta ruled that plainclothes officers firing on a civilian vehicle fall outside the scope of official duty.
• The decision revived the charge of destruction of evidence against then-DCP Parampal Singh, who was accused of ordering the removal of the victim’s car number plate.
• The court held that no prior sanction under Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code is required to prosecute public servants for acts not connected to their lawful functions.
• Investigative findings, including an SIT report that debunked a self-defence claim and CCTV footage showing three police vehicles converging on the car, underpin the case’s progression to trial.