NEW YORK, NY: A Sikh youth who had been held in the custody of the Immigration and Naturalization Service was released after the community deposited $50,000 as a bond,
Sukhvinder Singh had been heId in the custody of the INS after he completed his prison term. He was in the INS custody in Buffalo when an INS judge set his bond for $50,000 which was deposited on January 23rd by Harbhajan Singh, Vice President of the World Sikh Organization and the Coordinator of Sikh Youth of North America and Jatinder Singh who is the President of the Sikh Youth of North America and the vice president of the Sikh Cultural Society, NY.
Sukhvinder Singh, along with Dr. Gurpratap Singh Birk, Jasbir Singh Sandhu and Virinder Singh had been sentenced to varying prison terms by Judge Patrick E. Carr, in New Orleans after they pleaded “no-contest”, while maintaining their innocence, to charges that they had conspired to assassinate the then Haryana state Chief Minister Bhajan Lal during his visit to New Orleans in 1985.
Another accused Jatinder Singh Alhuwalia was acquitted by Lal had come for eye treatment to the US. He had earned a dubious title of “the most corrupt politician in India.” And a Sikh baiter. He was promoted as the federal minister of environment in Rajiv Gandhi cabinet, and is now an opposition Member of the Parliament.
Sukhvinder, Dr. Birk and others bad maintained that they were innocent and said they came to New Orleans to stage a demonstration against Lal for his harassment and humiliation of the Sikhs in Haryana during the Asian Games in 1984. They pleaded “no-contest” under the “Alford vs. North Carolina” which allowed them to plead guilty while maintaining their innocence.
Sukhvinder Singh was introduced to the Sangat at the Panthic Conference in January 27 and tributes were paid to his contribution in the freedom struggle of the Sikhs.
Dr, Birk is currently under detention at Lewisburg W.Va. He is scheduled to be released in May 1991.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 2, 1990
