CHANDIGARH: At the time when Punjab police Chief Mr. J.F Ribeiro was making loud claims that so far no concrete evidence had been brought to his notice of any innocent killings in fake encounters, the Punjab Human rights organization released their study report that 73 innocent persons were killed by the police in fake ‘encounters during the period of May 12 and Aug 22, 1987.

‘The report which was prepared by the various teams of P.H.R.O on the basis of on the spot studies and written statements of the eye Witnesses was released to the Press by president of the organization Justice Ajit Singh Bains and vice president Mr, Sukhdev Singh, a reputed Journalist at press conference at Chandigarh.

‘The Human Rights Activists declared that Punjab police has admitted 55 killings showing different excuses to conceal their illegal acts. They said that most of the chosen targets were the clear proof of their repressive policy against Sikhs.

‘The Punjab Human Rights leaders disclosed that they have already forwarded the cases of two fake encounters to the police chief in response to his statement for bringing such cases to his notice to enable him to make enquiries into it. Both these leaders claimed that they have done so only to expose the hollowness of Ribeiro’s claims to the contrary. They asserted, that they had complete information about all the fake encounters in which their teams had made studies on the spot,

Justice Bains declared that a murderer cannot be expected to sit in judgment over the killings of innocent people. Mr. Bains categorically announced that he was in a position to substantiate that 29 innocent persons were killed at 24 places in fake encounters.

Justice Bains ridiculed the policy of Punjab police where by the brand innocent people as hardcore “terrorists”, after their killings. Justice Bains who served on the bench of Punjab and Haryana high court for a long time questioned the right of a murderer (the police to undertake the role of a judicial process to malign the deceased with motives.

He cited the statements of Amrit sar police chief Mr. Mohad Azhar ‘Alam Khan where he (SSP. Amritsar) branded some killed persons as hardcore killers even’ before their identity was yet to be established.

Mr, Bains declared that they ‘were prepared to present and prove their findings if a commission with a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High court is formed.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 4, 1987