File Photo of ETO Ranjit Singh
Serving Woman Officer of Punjab Police Gets 3-Year Jail in ETO Suicide Case
Babushahi Network
Mohali, May 19, 2026: In a significant development in the 2011 suicide case of Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) Ranjit Singh, a Mohali Sessions Court on Tuesday sentenced former Vigilance SP Amandeep Kaur and businessman Rajinder Singh Gopi to three years’ rigorous imprisonment each.
Both were convicted under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
The court held that the two were involved in falsely implicating ETO Ranjit Singh in a bribery case, which led to his mental trauma and eventual suicide.
The judgment was pronounced by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) Hardip Singh, Mohali. Amandeep Kaur had earlier been granted bail, her suspension was revoked, and she was reinstated in service. She is currently serving as a police officer in the Punjab Police.
One of the co-accused, Paramjit Singh, was acquitted by the court. Two other accused in the case had died during the course of the trial.
Senior Advocate Rajwinder Singh Bains alongwith Advocate Gurmeet Singh appeared for Manjit Kaur wife of late Ranjit Singh.
ETO Took Poison After Bribery Arrest
Ranjit Singh, then serving as an Excise and Taxation Officer, died by suicide in April, 2011, at his Phase-2 residence in Mohali after allegedly consuming poisonous tablets.
He had been arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on March 29, 2011, in a trap case near Bassi Cinema, Mohali, on allegations of accepting a bribe to release a truck and goods belonging to transporter Rajinder Singh Gopi and his associates.
Although Singh was granted bail within days, he reportedly slipped into severe depression and took the extreme step shortly thereafter.
Government Inquiry Found False Implication
The arrest triggered widespread protests by officers and employees of the Excise and Taxation Department, who alleged that Ranjit Singh had been framed.The arrest and suicide incident ocuured during period when Sumedh Singh Saini was the Punjab Vigilance Chief. First of all he ordered the departmental inquiry in to the case.
In response, the Punjab Government constituted a high-level inquiry committee headed by IAS officer Mansvi Kumar and IPS officer H.S. Sandhu.
The committee concluded that then Vigilance SP Amandeep Kaur and her reader, Head Constable Harminder Singh, had failed to discharge their duties properly and had conspired with truck owner Rajinder Singh Gopi and his associates to falsely implicate the officer.
Wife Fought Long Legal Battle
Ranjit Singh’s widow, Manjit Kaur, pursued the matter relentlessly. After no action was taken despite the inquiry report, she approached the Mohali court in April 2012.
Acting on court directions, Mohali Police registered an FIR against the accused. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) later filed a chargesheet, and the case proceeded to trial.
Over the years, the court framed charges including abetment to suicide, criminal conspiracy, preparation of false records, and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Landmark Judgment After 15 Years
The sentencing marks the culmination of a 15-year legal battle and is seen as a landmark judgment holding public officials and private individuals accountable for misuse of power and false implication of a government officer.
The case underscores the devastating consequences of fabricated corruption charges and the long struggle for justice undertaken by the victim’s family.