The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday took suo moto notice of the alleged police encounter in which 19-year-old Ranjit Singh was killed in Gurdaspur district.

After seeking an explanation, the court directed Gaurav Yadav, the Director General of Police of Punjab, to appear before it via video conference and submit an affidavit detailing the incident. The victim’s mother, Sukhjinder Kaur, also filed a petition in the court regarding the case.

A division bench comprising Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda expressed concern over several police encounters in the state. The bench said the court “cannot sit with its eyes closed” and that the police must satisfy the court with a proper explanation.

The judges stated that after examining the police response, the court will decide whether the case should be handed over to an independent investigating agency. The bench also cautioned that the police cannot take the law into their own hands and any accused must be dealt with strictly according to legal procedures.