The Ludhiana Senior Superintendent, Police, Mr. Sumedh Singh Saini, announced on 15.2.89 at Ludhiana that Prof. Rajinderpaul Singh Gill was one of the three “terrorists” killed in an encounter with the police on the night of 26.01.89.
The Punjab Human Rights Organisation has carried out an investigation of the matter. The investigation was done by a team of three of its activists namely Mr D.S Gill, Mr Gurcharan Singh Bal and Mr Bhupinder Singh Somal, all advocates.
The investigators have come across strong evidence to suggest that Prof. Rajinderpaul Singh was taken in custody by the police from Sector 15, Chandigarh at about noon on 25.01.89. He usually lived in Jugiana village of Ludhiana district. He was Assistant Professor of Horticulture at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Prof. Rajinderpaul Singh Gill belonged to a political family and was associated with the United Akali Dal led by Baba Joginder Singh as a member of Advisory Board. He came to Chandigarh to meet one of his relations at Punjab University.
Prof. Rajinderpaul Singh travelled by a tractor (PBR 8051) to Chandigarh. The arrest of Prof. Rajinderpaul Singh was made by a police party from Ludhiana which included Shri Sant Kumar, SHO, And Payal Police Station. The tractor was driven to Sadar police station, Ludhiana, by a police constable. This tractor was seen by a few witnesses in the Sadar Police station. These witnesses included Mr Major Singh Mangat, advocate, who had gone to the police station to report the loss of his pistol. Mr Mangat saw the tractor at about 10 pm on 26.01.89. He heard the SHO, Kanwarjit Singh of the Sadar poiice station, Ludhiana, reprimanding his juniors as to why they brought the tractor to the police station when the order was that it should be taken to Ladhowal near Ludhiana. This place is very close to the alleged place of encounter which, according to the police, took place at 11.55pm on 26.1.89.
Prof. Rajinderpaul Singh was brought to the Crime Investigating Agency (CIA) Staff head office at Ludhiana at about 10.30pm on 25.01.89 along with others. Mr Harpreet Singh, a close relation of Mr Surjan Singh Thekedar, a senior Akali Leader, was also at the CIA staff head office when he saw the professor at about 9am on 26.01.89. Prof. Rajinderpaul Singh was taken to the “encounter” site aiong with Devinderpaul Singh of Malikpur Garibdas, Ropar district, and Prabhiit Sinan of Chandigarh. All three of them were arrested from Chandigarh. They were shot dead in cold blood.
The police maintain that the encounter was genuine while the widow of the professor, Rajinder Kaur, in an affidavit filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shri M.M. Aggarwal, affirmed that the police arrested him 2t Chandigarh at noon on 25.01.89.
Considering all these facts and circumstances the PHRO team is of the opinion that Prof. Rajinderpaul Singh was killed in a fake encounter by the Ludhiana Police.
The Professor’s wife, had earlier on 27.08.88 in a telegram to the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court brought to the court’s attention that she was detained by the Focal Point Police, Ludhiana, and that the then S.P (Detective), Surjit Singh had threatened her that her husband would be eliminated in an “encounter”.
One reason given by Mrs Rajinder Kaur for the police annoyance was the fact that they arranged the marriage of the sister of Charanijit Singh Channi with Rajinder Kaur’s brother’s son. For this reason the police suspected that the couple harboured Charanjit Singh Channi. The police also suspects Channi’s hand in the attack on Akali leader Jagdev Singh Talwandi.
It has also come to the PHRO’’s notice that an alternative took place between the professor and the S.S.P Ludhiana while the former was in police custody. There was no solid evidence to support this allegation.
The PHRO calls upon the Government to institute a judicial enquiry into Prof. Rajinderpaul Singh’s murder. It also appeals to international human rights organisations to press the demand. The PHRO strongly deplores the fact that Prof. Rajinderpaul Singh had been eliminated for his political views and alignments in the misplaced belief that such tactics could strengthen Akali Dal to restore normality in Punjab.