Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 7
More than 10 years after hotelier Gurkirat Sekhon, alias Gikki, was shot in Jalandhar, the Supreme Court on Friday acquitted two of the four men convicted and sentenced to life term by a trial court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
2011 Jalandhar hotelier’s killing
- April 21, 2011: Hotelier Gurkirat Sekhon, aka Gikki, shot in Jalandhar’s Model Town at 12.45 am
- Aug 3, 2015: All four accused given life term by Gurdaspur court
- Oct 17, 2019: Punjab and Haryana HC upholds conviction and life term
- Jan 7, 2022: SC acquits Jasdeep Singh Jassu and Amarpreet Singh Narula
Gikki was shot in front of his father on the intervening night of April 21 and 22, 2011, in Jalandhar’s Model Town around 12.45 am.
An FIR was lodged under various sections of the IPC and the Arms Act. The trial was later shifted out to a Gurdaspur court on the orders of the High Court.
The trial court had convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment four accused — Prince Makkar; Amardeep Singh, alias Sunny; Jasdeep Singh Jassu and Amarpreet Singh Narula — for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and common intention under Sections 304(1) and 34 of the IPC in August 2015.
In 2019, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had upheld their conviction and life imprisonment.
Allowing the appeals filed by Jasdeep Singh Jassu and Amarpreet Singh Narula, a Bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said “the prosecution has not proved its case beyond reasonable doubt as against A3 and A4 by reflecting the offence committed by A1, taking umbrage under Section 34 IPC (common intention)”.
“Thus, we are inclined to set aside the judgment of the High Court confirming that of the trial court as against the accused-appellants namely A3 and A4 alone are concerned,” the top court said.
Gikki case: SC acquits 2 of 4 accused
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