PATIALA: Yet another incident of the harassment of innocent Sikhs visiting relatives in India at the hands of police in India has. come to light.
A nonresident Sikh family came to India from UK to meet their relatives here and had to pay ten thousand rupees to the police party at the Indra Gandhi Airport to save themselves from being dubbed as terrorists.
A Punjabi Sikh settled in United Kingdom, Mr. Walaiti Singh landed at New Delhi Airport on January 23. When the family came to the Taxi stand after custom clearance a police party led by an Assistant Sub Inspector Din Dayal ordered the search of a Matadore in which the family was supposed to travel to Patiala.
Narrating this incident Mr. Parkash Singh a news agent told the newsmen at Patiala that his soninJaw Walaiti Singh was told by the police to pay Rs. Ten Thousand failing which he would be implicated in some terrorist case. He told the police officer that his daughter and son in law lad come to India after five years from England to meet them and offered to pay Rs 6500 which he had with him at that time. Mr. Parkash Singh said that after accepting this amount the ASP insisted on getting the remaining amount and threatened to take the family to the police station. There after his son in law encased the travelers checks to make the balance payment of the ten thousand as demanded by the assistant sub inspector.
Mr. Parkash Singh told the newsmen that he has made written complaints to the concerned authorities and demanded a stern action against the defaulting police officials. He also disclosed that although the Hindu passengers were allowed to go unchecked the Sikhs were being made as targets for harassment.
BEWARE
OF ANTISIKH
RUMOURS
Article extracted from this publication >> February 17, 1989
