The Punjab Human Rights Organisation has refuted the claim of the police that the Mess in-charge of a hostel of the Guru Nanak Engineering College, Ludhiana, was fired at and injured by the inmates of the Hostel when a Bathinda police party raided the college hostels early in the morning on September 6.
This was stated in a press release here by the PHRO General Secretary, Mr. D.S. Gill, who based his conclusion on the report of the fact finding committee consisting of Mr. Mohinder Singh Jawanda, Vice-President, and Mr. Bhupinder Singh Somal, (advocate) of the PHRO.
According to the findings of the report, the police version that the hostel inmates had fired shots from inside the premises resulting in injuries to Mr. Zora Singh, Canteen Manager, the police party fired four shots in self defence and this had recovered one revolver and some empties, is a mere concoction.
The probe panel after making spot enquiries found that Mr. Zora Singh (ex- serviceman) was proceeding to his duty at 3 a.m. as usual from his nearby residence when, all of a sudden, constables, Chaman Lal, Bhagwan Singh and Abdullah Khan of llc of the Gujrat Special Reserve Police (G.S.R. P.) led by its in-charge, G.S. Sekhawat, fired several rounds from their .303 rifles injuring Mr. Zora Singh who fell down in the veranda while rushing towards the hostel.
According to the eyewitness account, no shots were fired from inside the hostel, the report added.
The police contingent, Mr. D.S. Gill said, had a thorough search in and around the hostel but no arms or ammunition or any objectionable matter was recovered. However, a few students, who resented the shooting of their Mess Manager by the police, gave water to the injured. Mr. Manjit Singh and Mr. Jagjot Singh, both second year Degree college students and hostel inmates, were taken into custody.
The Bathinda police party led by D.S.P. Randev Singh and assisted by the G.S.R.P. company numbering more than 100 raided the Guru Nanak Engineering College (G.N.E.) hostels to apprehend Bakhtawar Singh wanted by the police, Sangat Police station (Bathinda),allegedly hiding there. They did not seek permission nor did they inform the college authorities before raiding their premises at night. The PHRO demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident as the matter was serious. The Mess employees and the students were terror struck while 75% hostel inmates left for their villages.
The human rights body urged all the educational institutions to raise a unanimous voice against the repression let loose on them and to collectively take up the matter before the higher State authorities. The managements and the staff of these institutions should not hand over their wards to the police without informing their parents. The P.H.R.O. had already received several complaints on this count.
