Sir,

Tam writing as a member of Amnesty International to obtain more information about the case of Professor Dalip Singh who was reportedly arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act 1987 on November 1, 1988 at Khalsa College, Bombay, Mahatrashtra, and is now being kept in Rajpura Tehsil, Punjab.

I am concerned that Dalip Singh is held under laws which allow prolonged detention without charge or trial and that he may be held for his political views. I request that he be either released or should evidence exist, be charged with a specific criminal offence.

1 am also concerned at the possibility that he may be subjected to torture or ill-treatment during interrogation by the Punjab police. I hope that no confessional statement made to the police extracted or torture, will be admitted in evidence as guaranteed under Article 12 of the United Nations Declaration against Torture. I feel that provisions in the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act that a statement made by an accused person to a senior police officer may under Section 15 of the Act, be admitted in evidence before the court provided that the police officer has reason to believe that it (the statement) is being made voluntarily may be sued to contravene the United Nations Declaration.

Is Dalip Singh permitted regular access to both family and a lawyer? In Amnesty International’s experience such access can be a powerful means of preventing ill treatment and torture of prisoners.

Amnesty International is also concerned at the circumstances in which Dalip Singh was taken into custody. We urge you to establish an independent investigation into the events and to ensure that if it is established that he has been in illegal custody without being brought before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest, action be taken against those responsible for illegally detaining him.

1 am sure that the situation in the Punjab is very volatile and in no way does Amnesty International condone the use of violence but governments should always uphold basic minimum human rights standards to which India is 4 party even in difficult situations as presently in Punjab.

  1. Connor

Amnesty International URMSTON Manchester M31s IXZ

Article extracted from this publication >>  February 24, 1989