I, Khem Singh Gill, (born 1 September, 1930), resident of 6/14 Campus, Punjab agricultural University, (PAU), Ludhiana, India, do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as under:-

  1. That I have been serving the Punjab Agricultural University since its inception in October 1962 and earlier in the Punjab State Department of Agriculture since June 1951 and have held eminent positions:

Director of Extension Education, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana – Feb. 1987 continuing.

Director of Research, Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana – February 1983 to February 1987.

Professor of Plant Breeding and Dean, College of Agriculture, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana – August 1979 to February 1983.

Professor and Head, Department of Plant Breeding, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana – May 1963 to Aug. 1979.

Professor/Associate Professor of Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Hissar – 1966 – 1968.

Rockefeller Foundation, Fellow, University of California, Riverside, USA – 1963 to 1966.

Assistant Oilseed Breeder, Department of Agriculture, Punjab/Punjab Agricultural University – 1955 to 1966.

Research Assistant, Department of Agriculture, Punjab – 1951 to 1955.

In the present position as Director of Extension Education, my responsibilities relate to initiation, guidance and coordination of all programmes of Transfer of Technology of agriculture, agricultural engineering, Veterinary and animal sciences and home science of the

PAU. The University Extension Service, through its three wings of Training Unit, Farm Advisory Service and the Communication Centre, maintains live and intimate links with the research in the PAU on the one hand and the field-level functionaries and farmers on the other. The sound Transfer of Technology programmes has played a significant role in enhancing per hectare yields in the Punjab which are almost double the national average yield to most of the crops, such as wheat, rice, bajra and cotton. The efforts to extension training unit have been acknowledged by the United Nations as in no other institution in the world have such a large number of farmers been trained.

  1. That I have a meritorious educational background. I had my B.Sc. (Agri.) from Punjab University in 1949 by standing second in the University and first in the College. I stood first in the University in my M.Sc. (Agri.) in 1951 with specialization in Genetic and Plant Breeding. I passed my Ph.D. degree in Genetics from the University of California, Riverside, U.S.A. in 1966 by securing a very high grade point average of 3.90 ( on 4,00 basis ).
  2. That I am a recipient of a number of awards, honors and prizes for making outstanding professional achievements: –

– Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Memorial Prize by the Govt. of India for providing outstanding leadership in Plant Breeding and devolving disease-resistant pearl millet hybrids and high-yielding wheat varieties-1976.

– Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Award for contribution in the area of genetic improvement of wheat and triticale having basic and practical implications- 1985.

– Cash prize of Rupees Ten Thousand by the Punjab Agricultural University for providing outstanding leadership in Plant Breeding and for the development of new improved varieties of wheat and other crops- 1978.

– Indian Council of Agricultural Research Award for Team Research as a team leader for outstanding contributions to research in the field of agriculture- 1960,

– Group award as a leader of PL-480 Project by the United States Department of Agriculture as appreciated for outstanding work on the development and evaluation of triticale- 1981.

– Medal by the Mexican Government, CIMMYPT, Mexico for wheat research 1973.

– Two advance increments awarded by the Punjab Agricultural University for good work as Dean of the College of Agriculture.

– Elected Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy since 1981.

– President of the Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding’s- 1982,

– Founder President of the Crop Improvement Society of Indian 1974 to 1979.

– Vice-President, Indian Society of Genetic and Plant Breeding – 1975. – Vice-President, the Genetic Association of Indian- 1976.

– Selected as Professor of Eminence at national level by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – 1980.

– Member of the XI Society of USA (Chapter-at-large) _1982.

– Member, Board of Nanagement of Assam Agricultural University 1978 to 1985.

– Member, Council of Indian National Science Academy- 1983 to 1985.

– Dean, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab – 1982 to 1984.

– Chairman, Postgraduate Agricultural Education and Research Board, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab – 1983.

– Chairman, First Symposium on Crop Improvement, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India – 1987,

– Convener, Punjab Chapter of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi – 1987.

– Honoured as an eminent plant breeder and geneticist with the dedication of a volume “Plant Breeding: Today and Tomorrow” comprising 35 chapters by foreign and 15 chapters by Indian authors. The volume was presented at the Inaugural Session of the First Symposium on Crop Improvement by Shri S,S.Ray, the Governor of the Punjab 1987.

Recently I have been elected as a Trustee of the Board of the International Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT), located in Mexico, which is a unique honour. CIMMYT is engaged in a worldwide research programme tor maize, wheat and triticale, with emphasis on food production in developing countries. It is associated with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which is an organized group of more than 35 donor organisations including from USA and based at FAO, Rome.

  1. That I have rendered professional services to the Indian Government by serving as a member or as a chairman of a large number of committees since 1972 to date. As Director, I have successfully organized four Summer Institutes in Plant Breeding which were sponsored by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi and in which more than 100 scientists and teachers from various states of the country participated. I also organized four training programmes on wheat production technology sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. In these programmes, specialists from all over India participated. On these bases, a model programme on wheat production technology has been designed and advance center of training at the national level has been set up at the PAU in 1987.
  2. (a) That in the international affairs, I have been involved in evaluation of very important Global Research Projects:

Global Research Projects

– Invited in October 1981 and acted as member of the 3-member Evaluation Mission of the UNDP global project in sorghum millets at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics CICRISAT), Hyderabad the other two members of the team were Dr.G.W. Burton, Georgia Experimental Station, USA and Dr.B.Gebrekiden, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. The 5-year programmes were evaluated and future strategies were designed for maximizing production of sorghum and millets on global basis

— Invited in November 1983 and acted as member of the 3-member Evaluation Mission of the UNDP global project on the International Rice Testing and Improvement Programme (IRTIP) of the International Rice Research

– Institute (IRRI), Philippines. The two other members of the mission were Dr. H.M.Baechell, Rice Production Specialist Texas (USA) and Dr. W.H.Petrick (Jr.) Louisiana State University, USA. The S-year programmes of IRRI relating to International Rice Testing Programme, biological nitrogen fixation and tissue culture were evaluated and recommendations made for strengthening research in biotechnology and other innovative techniques and to strengthen scientific manpower training in Asian countries

– Invited in April 1986 by the CIMMYT, Mexico for discussions on Karnal bunt disease of wheat at the International Meeting on bunt and smuts held at Obregon, Mexico. Based on the research on Karnal bunt carried out by me as a leader at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, a collaborative project (CIMMYT-PAU) has been approved for basic and applied research on Karnal bunt and exchange and screening of germplasm and other materials of wheat against this serious disease

  1. (b). I have worked as Principle Investigator and supervised a dozen PL 480 funded research projects in which Dr. J.P.Gustaffson and Dr. Royer from USA are working as collaborators. These projects are of mutual interest to USA and India.

5 (c). That I have participated as a key note speaker, Session Chairman and paper contributor in over two dozen International Symposia/Conferences and held in various countries of the world.

5 (d). For advance studies, I have visited several International Institutions/Universities in USSR, Ireland, England, USA, Sweden, Australia, Malaysia, Mexico, Italy and Philippines

  1. That my research in crop improvement have led to the development of 17 improved varieties of wheat (13 of aestivum wheat, 2 of durum wheat and 2 of trirical), 5 new disease-resistant and high-yielding hybrids and composites of pearl millet, 3 varieties off linseed, 2 varieties of sesame and one variety of barley and two of cluster bean. Of these 9 varieties of wheat, 5 of pearl millet have been released at the India level. In addition, one variety of barley, 2 of sesame and 3 of linseed have been released tor cultivation in the Punjab and some other states. The improved varieties have significantly contributed to increased production of these crops. The wheat varieties have particularly played a key role in Green Revolution in the country. One of the wheat varieties, WL 711 developed by me has been extensively cultivated by the Pakistan Farmers. I have guided as a major advisor 15 Ph. D. and 8 M.Sc. students. I have published 294 research papers in national and international journals and authored 6 books and 8 bulletins.
  2. That 1 was married to Surjit Kaur (now aged 57years) in 1948. We have two sons and a daughter, one elder son Baljit Singh Gill was born on 1 February 1956. He has throughout a brilliant academic record and graduated in medicine and surgery in 1980 from Guru Nanak Dev University, Punjab and migrated to USA in 1982. After passing the medical examination in USA, he is now employed as Government Medical Doctor in Virginia and lives in 110 David’s Way Grafton, Virginia, USA Dr. Baljit Singh Gill is now a USA citizen, He is married to Gurkamal Kaur who is BA (Birmingham) and holds British citizenship

Our daughter Devinder Kaur, aged about 30 years passed her MBBS professional degree in 1980 and her post-graduate master’s degree in Gynaecology in 1987. She is employed as a Lady Medical Doctor since 1982 and is now working at Government Primary Health Centre Sudhar, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. She is also working as a Medical Doctor at the Government Primary Health Centre, Sudhar, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.

Our youngest son is Ranjit Singh Gill whose extradition from America has been requested by the Govt. of India. He was a post-graduate student finishing his M.Sc. in Plant Breeding at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana in July 1985 when, alongwith his friends Daljit Singh Sidhu (B.Vse. final year student) and Sukhminder Singh Sandhu (MA student in Govt. College Ludhiana), he was falsely implicated by the Punjab Police for alleged attempt on the life of Mr. A.P.Pandey, Indian Police Service, Officer of Punjab posted at Ludhiana. (This case was found to be a complete fabrication by the Committee whose Chairman was a retired Judge off the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr. Ajit Singh Bains. Three other members of the Committee were Mr.Lal Chand Sabharwal, a Senior Advocate of Punjab, Mr.M.R.Midha, a Joint Director Prosecution Punjab and Mr. Gurdarshan Singh Grewal of Punjab). He was also falsely implicated in another murder case by the Punjab Police on 12 July 1985 which was later withdrawn by the Punjab Govt. of its own lacking in evidence. He thereafter lett our family home and we have come to know about him on his arrest in New Jersey, USA in May 1987.

  1. That I and my whole family are members of the Sikh faith and that adult male members are readily identifiable as such by turban, beard and name of Singh.
  2. That I live in House No. 6/14 located on the Campus of the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana in the State of Punjab, India. That at present, I and my wife live in this house.
  3. That the Police have been harassing myself and my family by raiding and searching the house without showing us court warrants for search since 9 July 1985 from time to time during the day as well as at odd hours at night. Every time the policemen carried fire arms including stenguns, rifles and revolvers. At certain occasions, the Police made threats and behaved in rude and abusive manner

Three police men, armed with a revolver and two stenguns came to my house at about 3 p.m. on 9th July 1985 when I had just returned from my office, They rudely enquired about my son Ranjit Singh Gill whom they wanted to take to the Police Station for some investigations. Ranjit Singh Gill had gone to laboratory for his graduate work and I assured them that I would send my son to the police station as soon as he came back. I had to go for official visit to see the Biogas Plant at village Humbran (about 15 Km from Ludhiana) alongwith the Chief Engineer and the Estate Officer and came back at about 6 p.m. In my absence, my house was raided and searched by 10-15 police men alongwith a Police Superintendent armed with revolvers, rifles and stenguns. Their behavior was very rude and threatening to my wife who was present in the house. During the search they took photograph of my con, Ranjit Singh Gill and his identity card and his driving license.

Again, at 10 p.m. on 9 July 1985, a large police force (about 150 police men) alongwith a Superintendent Police raided my house and an circled it from a sides. I was taken to the Police Station and rudely asked to produce Ranjit Singh. After a brief interrogation, I was allowed to come back home.

On 10th July 1985, I was again taken by the police from my office to the Police Station and I was interrogated by the Deputy Inspector General Police (Patiala Division of Punjab), Senior Superintendent Police and Superintendent Police and was allowed to come back in the evening. Their behavior was threatening throughout

Next day (11 July 1985), the house of Dr. H.S.Dhaliwal Senior Scientist-cum-Director of PAU Regional Research Station Gurdaspur, who was Major Advisor of my son for his M.S. Programme was raided at 3 a.m. at night. Dr. Dhaliwal was taken to Police Station and was allowed to come back home after 10-12 hours, in spite of the fact that he informed the police about good performance and keen interest of his student Ranjit Singh Gill in his studies. For several days the Police kept close vigil and visited Dhaliwal’s house at Gurdaspur in search of Ranjit Singh.

The Police also harassed my relative Mr. Pritam Singh Sidhu (father-in-law of my elder son) and his house at Nakodar ‘about 50 Km from Ludhiana) was raided at 11 p.m. during the same days. He was first taken to Police Station Nakodar and then to Ludhiana and was rudely handled and only allowed to go back at noon time the next day. Similarly houses of my other relatives were raided.

From 9 July 1965, my house in the Campus of the Punjab Agricultural University was raided and searched by the police in large numbers almost every night at odd hours and inquiries made about Ranjit Singh Gill. The police behavior at several times was rude and threatening. My wife is suffering from allergic asthma and because of frequent police raids, her health has deteriorated. My faculty colleagues in the University met the Deputy Commissioner and Senior Supdt. of Police, Ludhiana and requested them not to cause harassment to my family by locking and raiding my house at night. This had some effect. Every time some incident happened in the State, my house was raided by the police and inquiries made.

During my absence on an official foreign tour to attend a meeting at the International Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) in Mexico, six police men armed wiyh revolvers and stenguns raided my house at 4 a.m. on 25 September 1986 when my sick wife alone was at home. Her health worsened on this account. On October 1986, five armed police men again made inquiries by going to my house. My wife was sick and lying in bed at the time of their visit

  1. That my son, Ranjit Singh Gill, has a bright academic record, has earned recognition in studies and sports, has been respectful to his teachers and has always been a dutiful son.

Born on 23 June 1961, Ranjit Singh Gill passed his Matriculation Examination from Punjab School Education Board, Chandigarh in 1977 with 65 percent marks in First Division. He was considered a very intelligent and brilliant student, a promising hockey player with excellent conduct by the Headmistress of his school.

He passed his B.Sc. Agri. (Hons) degree from the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana in 1983, securing an overall grade point average of 3.26 out of 4.00. He was awarded University Merit Scholarship during 1978-79 and 1982-83. He represented PAU Hockey Team in 1978-79, 1979-80 and 1980-81. This team was Runners up in 1978-79 in North Zone Intervarsity Hockey Tournament and was also Runners up in All-India Hockey Tournament (Inter-Zonal) in 1980-81. He was awarded University Colour in 1980-81 and certificate of merit for proficiency in Hockey.

Ranjit Singh Gill had shown keen interest in his studies and was considered as a very intelligent, hard-working, well-behaved student with good moral conduct by his teachers

The performance of my son, Ranjit Son, was excellent in his M.Sc. in Plant Breeding at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana since he joined this programme in August 1983. Throughout this programme, he was a scholarship holder. He finished all his M.Sc course work with an overall average grade point of 3.93 out of 4.00. He stood first in the previous year of M.Sc. and was awarded a merit certificate and prize at the University Annual Convocation in 1984. In his final M.Sc. also he secured the top position and was due to receive Gold Medal in M.Sc Plant Breeding. He has successfully completed his thesis research also and submitted it to bis Major Advisor who later on submitted the thesis to the Dean, Post-graduate Studies of the PAU record in the University.

For M.Sc. research, Ranjit Singh Gill worked on the problem, “Synthesis and Evalus on of Triticum durum T. monococcum amphipods” The research findings are of great fundamental and applied research. He had prepared two research papers for publication out of his thesis research and given to his Major Advisor. One of the papers has already been published and the other is in the process.

His teachers had held very high opinion about the academic and research capabilities of Mr Ranjit Singh Gill and his behaviour.

Mr. Ranjit Singh Gill was offered an assistantship to work towards a Ph.D. programme at the Kansas State University (KSU) Manhathen Kansas in

April 1985. Accordingly he had submitted required information to the KSU.

He has always been a dutiful son and his behaviour at home with all family members was always cordial. He was obedient to us as parents.

  1. That I apprehend that my nail and telephone are being censored/taped by the police and my house kept under vigilance. I leave it to the U.S. court and the American public opinion to decide whether to permit extradition of my son and his associate in the circumstance narrated by me above

Ludhiana:

October 10, 1987.