The case dates back to July 2007 when the custodial death of a youth, Anil Kumar (21), from Manimajra had rocked the police department. Anil had mysteriously died at the Manimajra police station in July 2007, when the police personnel had picked him up on mere suspicion. On August 10, 2007, the police had booked Narinder holding him responsible for illegally detaining Anil and his death.

The youth had died after jumping from the second floor of the police station within hours of his detention. His family had then alleged that Anil was tortured by the SI, which caused his death.

After the matter was highlighted by the media, Narinder tried to fudge the entries of Anil’s detention made in the police station records. The matter finally came up before the High Court, which took strong exception to the way the Chandigarh Police dealt with the case. “Strong medical evidence supported by the doctor’s statements that injuries received by the deceased were due to assault and jumping from a height gave the prosecution the winning edge in the case,” said public prosecutor Manu Kakkar, adding that the evidence established that the victim was assaulted and then jumped when the accused SI was with him at the police station.

Anil was picked by the police for verification of his antecedents on July 11, 2007. His mother Phulawati had told the police that her son Anil left home for his office at MW Market, Industrial Area Phase-1, Chandigarh on July 11. Around 7 pm on the same day, some police personnel in plain clothes told his relatives that Anil had met with an accident at Naraingarh and was admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh.

His relatives immediately rushed to the PGI where they were informed that he had died at 5.30 pm. His uncle Ved Parkash and sister Geetanjli later came to know that he was taken into police custody by Narinder Singh and he had not met with an accident, as stated by the police.