The Punjab Human Rights Organization and the Indian Minorities and Dalit Front held the C.R.P.F. guilty of burning Guru Granth Sahib, raping women, beating up an old man to death and torturing the people on December 27, 1986 at Brahmpura.

The Committee visited the village on January 2 and January 7, 1987 and enquired into the incidents from a cross section of the village population.

Mr. Daljit Singh, village Sarpanch confirmed the burning of Guru Granth Sahib by the C.R.P.F. He told the Enquiry Committee that when he protested against this sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib he was threatened with dire consequences and was shot by a C.R.P.F. man. The bullet pierced through the body of Guru Granth Sahib.

Mr. Gurdit Singh , an old man of 65 was beaten with rifle butts until he fell unconscious. Later on, he was admitted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and then Kakar Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. His son S.Jagjit Singh, an educated farmer, was also beaten mercilessly and was made to sit without any warm clothing in the chilly night along with other 20 persons from the village.

S.Sudarshan Singh, warden of the Central Jail, Amritsar and Gulbagh Singh, a constable of the C.R.P.F. were also among the victims. They were not spared despite the fact that they showed their identity cards. They blamed Gulbagh Singh, a C.R.P.F. constable for “imparting training” to the terrorists. Mr. Gurmit Singh, a Lance Naik who had come to visit his sister, was also thrashed.

The committee saw about 40 broken doors of the houses and interviewed about 50 persons in the village. Ladies complained of maltreatment at the C.R.P.F. hands and they reported about five rape cases. A few other young ladies were molested.

The Committee met all the three Hindu families living in the village, who also complained against the misbehavior of the C.R.P.F. men.

Mr. Jawahar Lal s/o Dr. Prem Nath was beaten with butts when he was taking shelter in the house of the village Sarpanch. He was called traitor when he spoke a few good words about the Sarpanch and the Sikhs of the village. Mrs Suhagwati, an old lady and wife of Mr. Mukand Lal, shop-keeper of the village, was also beaten by the police and her husband fell unconscious not bearing the shock. All the three Hindu families talked of a cordial atmosphere prevailing in the village and they denied any communal harassment at the hands of the Sikh residents. They showed full faith in the majority community of the village and blamed the C.R.P.F. for committing atrocities on the villagers.

Mr. Gurdial Singh and Bhag Singh, two brothers told the committee that Mr. Avtar Singh Brahma along with his two associates came to their house on that fateful night of December 27, 1986 and asked them to install the loud-speaker. They installed the loudspeaker without any hesitation and Avtar Singh Brahma addressed the villagers as well as the C.R.P.F. men who were stationed in the Girls School of the village. The two brothers stated that Brahma warned the C.R.P.F. men against harassing the villagers in search of him. He also challenged the police to arrest him as he was now present in the village. He advised the villagers not to come out of their houses as there could be a real encounter. Almost all the villagers interviewed by this Committee confirmed the version of Gurdial Singh and Bhag Singh. Mr. Avtar Singh made these announcements at about 9.30 p.m. and left the village thereafter, whereas the C.R.P.F. struck the village after 10.30 p.m. Mr. Brahma also fired a few shots in the air, but there was silence in the C.R.P.F. camps at that time. The whole village in one voice was demanding justice by punishing the guilty C.R.P.F. men.

 10 – AN OVERVIEW OF KILLINGS BY TORTURE JULY 16, 1987

 Punjab Human Rights Organization team led by its Chairman, Mr Ajit Singh Bains visited the border districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur. It was noticed that the security forces and the Punjab Police have established several centres where inhuman and sadistic tortures are inflicted on the Sikhs. Corruption is rampant and the interrogation officers have been extorting money for the release of innocent persons. The persons killed here are said to be disposed of in clandestine manner and most of them are thrown in the water ways or fields and these cases are publicized as the handiwork of rival militant groups. Some of such centres are located at Maal Mandi, near Jhabal, and Old Jail in Amritsar; Qadian, Dina Nagar & Shahpur Kandi Rest House in Gurdaspur District. The public holds Mohd lzhar Alam, S.S.P., Rajinder Singh, S.P.(D) and D.S.P. Gurmel Singh responsible for these tortures and murders.

One Suba Singh, J.B.T. teacher of Talwandi and Jaspal Singh, Vice-President of A.I.S.S.F arrested from Dina Nagar were taken in custody and tortured to death at the Shahpur Kandi Rest House but were shown to have been killed in an encounter with the B.S.F. at Kamalpur and Bani Lodhi respectively.

The B.S.F. and C.R.P.F. had cross firing where in one B.S.F. Jawan (Private)was killed and another injured. To justify the firing, they conspired, raided the residence of Niranjan Singh of Veroke and killed his son and pregnant daughter. S.D.M. Batala during his enquiry, held the B.S.F. guilty but no action was taken by the Govt., so a private complaint is pending in the court.

Ranjit Singh Baba of Dayalgarh, Gurmej Singh Dhilwan and Makhan Singh Chhith were rounded up at a tube-well in village Kala Balmini. They were interrogated by Inderjit Singh Sandhu of B.S.F. and Sumed Singh Saini, S.P. and later murdered in a fake encounter.

Mangal Singh and Gurnam Singh visiting some person at village Mand in Ploice Station Sri Hargobindpur were interrogated by Mr A.P. Pandey(S.S.P.) who later got them murdered in fake encounter. Piara Singh Sarpanch protested against this brutal act but he too was killed. Karam Singh Babbar, Balkar Singh Fauji and Mastan Singh Kalanaur were rounded up at different places but were killed in fake encounters after interrogation in Gurdaspur.