BUCHAREST (ROMANIA): The High Court of Romania (Military Court), Wednesday handed down is decision against the two Sikh young boys charged with attacking J.F. Ribeiro, ambassador, of India to Romania,
IF Ribeiro may best be remembered as the “super cop” of Bombay who left no stone unturned in his tenure to carry out New Delhi’s genocidal policies against Sikhs in Punjab as a police chief.
Bhai Pargat Singh was sentenced to 10 years and his accomplice, Bhai Jagwinder Singh received 8 1/2. years, for their part in the August 1991 shooting of the ambassador. One other involved in the case escaped while the presumed leader Bhai jug raj Singh, died when police opened fire during the attack: (Unfortunately for the family of Jugraj Singh, the body remains in Romania. The Romania govt. has refused requests from the Family stating that formal notification has yet to come from the External Affairs Ministry of India).
Case started with Jagwinders statement. When the news of Ribeiro appeared in the local papers in Punjab the parents of the involved boys were in search of some legal aid for their boys and when they were told by the Punjab police that these boys are involved in the case in Romania, the parents contacted P.H.R.O. (chai man).S. Gill for legal help, special power of attorneys were given to Hart Singh and Maluk Singh Chuhan, President and Vice President of P.H.R.O. U.K. unit) who are also both Barristers in London, So Harjit Singh and MS.Chuhan both contacted Romanian authorities and told them that they have been authorized by the parents to provide legal aid to the boys, Two local solicitors were given to the boys Patrascu and Varga for Jagwinder Singh and Pargat Singh. These two solicitors were advised on the Punjab situation and the case of Pargat and Jagwinder by Harjit Singh and MS. Chuhan but Harjit Singh and MS.Chuhan were not allowed to appear in the court in person. As they were the President and Vice president of P.H.R.O.
PHR.O. was allowed to sit with the local solicitors to observe the whole case. The Hearing started in the High Court of Bucharest (Military Court) under Army General who presided as the judge, and four other army officials were siting with him. “The Prosecutor was Basile Pantea (Army Major), Consuls Adrian Patrachu, Alexundra Varga and two representatives of P.H.R.O. (UK. Unit. The case started at about 9:00 am. on Feb.19,1992 and lasted until 17:30. It was a military court and heavily guarded by the elite force of the Romanian Military force. The court was guarded with six feet wall with three feet high wire mesh on top of the wall, There were armed guards on top of the building and all around the building. Every person entering the court was screened. There were five Sikh boys Jugraj Singh alias Surjit Singh (dead), Jagwinder Singh alias Gurmit Singh alias Bitu, Pargat Singh alias Rajesh Kumar, Balwinder Singh alias Happy (escaped), (Gurpal Singh alias Mandeep Singh (escaped) who took part in the action, Judge In your statement to police you said you came from Switzerland, how did you enter Switzerland?
Through German Border.
- What was your status in Switzerland?
Political Asylum (Assylum)
Q4How did you get money?
Worked in Bern
Q: How did you: meet Jugraj Singh?
On .the religious functions in Switzerland,
- Why did you come to Romania?
Because I wanted to go to India to see my parents. I could not go on the original passport i was frightened from Punjab police as was a Baptized Sikh, and Jugraj told me that he knew somebody in Bucharest who will get me a false passport. So I decided to come to Bucharest so I can go to India.
Q: Why were you frightened of the Punjab police? Did you do any crimes in Punjab?
No I did not do any crimes in Punjab but I was a member of All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) and Tam a baptized Sikh, Police can take any baptized Sikh and take any action and demand money and make an encounter, because there is no law and order in Punjab.
Q: Have you got any reports 10 prove your statement?
(At this point P.H.R.O. representative stood up and gave all the reports of human rights violations in Punjab to the judges.)
- How did you come to Bucharest?
Travelled by train from Bern to Zurich and then from there by coach to Bucharest.
Q: Who else was with you? .
Pargat Singh.
Q: How did you meet Pargat?
When I came to Zurich Pargat was there at one of our friends house.
Q: you know Pargat before?
Yes we met at the religious programs in Switzerland,
- so you knew Pargat is travelling with you?
No I knew about him when I met him in Zurich.
Q: You both travelled in the coach?
Yes
Q, How many other passengers were therein the coach, nil. Three drivers art two of us.
- How much money was paid for the coach?
We paid $2500.00.
Q: Where did the money come from?
That was my personal money I eared when I was working in Switzerland.
Q: How did you cross the border?
Before the border we went into the luggage compartment of the coach.
- Through which border did you enter Romania?
By Hungary border at Timusara in Romania.
Q: How did you travel in Timusara in Bucharest?
By train.
Q: Where did you go from the station? We met somebody called General at the railway station who gave us accommodation.
Q: What did you discuss with Pargat in the coach?
We only had a religious discussion,
- Did Pargat tell you why he is coming to Bucharest?
Yes he said he would do some business.
- When you came to Bucharest di you try to go to India?
Yes but came to know that Lean India but will not be able to come back on the same passport, and then I tried to get a visa to go to USA/Canada. But also failed,
- How did Jugra get in touch with you in Bucharest?
When he came to Bucharest and after getting the passport I told him that I cannot go to India and we gave him our telephone number. After a few days he rang and told us hate would be coming to Bucharest then he will make my arrangements to go to India as he knew somebody who could help me.
- Before Jugraj came you and Pargat bought a car, where did the money come from? Yes I had my own money which brought with me from Switzerland.
Q: ONLY previous statements you said you wanted to go to India, via Romania so why did you buy the car?
Because we could not travel by taxis as it was expensive, and we bought the car on the condition that if we had to return the (owner) will give us the money back.
- You and Pargat went to pick up Jugraj from the border (Timusara) so you knew already that Jugraj is coming?
No, Jugrajrang up from Timusara some told him that we got a car we will come and pick you up.
- Who bought the weapons?
Jugraj.
Q: Where from do not know.
- Did he tell you why he bought?
Yes.
Q: So he was you master?
No he was my religious friend. Did you join Jugraj planning for yourself or for some other reasons?
I joined in this action myself.
- Did you see the weapons?
Yes. He was asked to recognize the weapons from the photographs, which he di.)
Q Did you have training to fire these arms?
No we went outside Bucharest a few times, Balwinder, Gurpal Parga, and Jugraj and used to sit in the car and look out.
Q: You had a set of walkie talkies, did you see the set of the walkie talkies?
- You studied all the area near his residence?
Yes.
Q: Who did that?
First Jugraj used to do it, one day. Ribeiro took notice of him and saw him, So after that Gurpal started to do that.
Q: you said in your previous statement that after you were captured that you came near him two three times before 20.08.91
Yes we came three times before if we wanted to kill him we could have done it but we wanted to kidnap him, that is why we did not Kill him, AS T told you before we did not want to kill him we wanted to kidnap him, Because he killed lot of young boys in fake encounters, he was already a butcher police in Punjab, and the Indian Govt. spreading in the media that the Sikh are the terrorists, and we wanted to tell the outside world that we are not terrorists and that we are freedom loving people by letting Ribeiro free after a few «days of kidnapping him so that we could till the world that if we can free a butcher policeman, how are we terrorists?
- 0n the day of the incident die you drive the car?
I was driving; Jugraj was on the front seat Pargat and Balwinder sitting on the back seat.
- Who had the weapons?
Jugraj and Pargat.
Q Your car came very close to Ribeiro, why did you not kill him from the car? You could have killed him from the car?
Yes we could kill him from the car, but as [told you we wanted to kidnap him,
You stopped just near him who Lot out of the car first?
Jugraj, he fired in the air to frighten Ribeiro he started running then Pargat got out of the car Thread the shots, in the meantime my car was struck with a bullet, I Looked back no body was in, then was hit in the arm with a bullet from the back, I don’t know what happened after that.
- Did you see Ribeiro’s wife?
Yes she was standing just near my car when Ribeiro started running across the road.
- Who took the weapons from under the back seat of the car?) I do not know.
- Did you see Pargat fixing?
No, I did not
- You said you did not want to all him to why did you bring arms?
Yes we did not want to Kill him but as he was trained commando he could have had weapons, we had arms to frighten him and also for our defence.
- Did you regret your action?
No Sir I took the right action, because I could not bear the pain of my brothers and sisters while he was a police chief in Punjab,
Q: You gave a statement to the security guard after the attempts there any difference between the two statements, if there is any difference then which one is the right one,
I gave the same statement at that time as well, but I do not know. what they wrote because they: never let me read it, and as you know I do not know English very well i cannot read very well in English.
- What type of relation did you have with Pargat?
He is my religious friend.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 28, 1992
