CHANDIGARH: The Director General of Punjab police KPS Gill has reportedly told the prime minister that his removal would demoralise the police force in the state.

Observers regarded the DGP’s message as a sort of warning that “unpleasant results would ensure if he were withdrawn.” While implications of Gill’s message to the PM were still being discussed in the top echelons in Delhi the DGP. Confirmed his nasty mood at a meeting here chaired by the new governor Verma last week. First, Gill abruptly left the meeting while Verma was referring to police involvement in extortions and abductions. Gill later explained he had gone to his office to get some information for the meeting. After his return Gill made an angry outburst. He said security forces were fighting the nation’s battle in Punjab. Nowhere in the world have security force given a better account of themselves than in Punjab, he said.

One hundred and fifty four security men had been killed. If there were any charges of corruption he should be told about it and he would look into it. Gill said any talk of corruption in the police would demoralise the force which he said was fighting “terrorism” even when families of policemen were facing threats to their lives. Gill’s views were virtually endorsed by the Border Range DIG GIS Bhullar and Jalandhar SSP Suresh Arora. The Ferozepore SSP said his areas MP ‘D.S. Mand was linked with extortionist. Paramjit Singh SSP Ludhiana objected to the enquiry ordered by the governor into the fake encounter deaths of two youths near Khanna. These youths were wanted by the police and were planning to kill Devi Lal’s grandson.

According to a source, the governor was taken aback by the police reaction against his statements about corruption in the police force. He was on the defensive. He said only newspapers were seeking elections in Punjab while most political parties as well as he himself did not favour elections before violence was controlled.

The governor later explained that he did not have serious differences with Gill concerning Punjab violence.

Meanwhile the Akali Dal chief, S.S. Mann took a serious view of the police officers who challenged the authority of the Governor. Mann in a statement said the walkout by Gill and Paramjit Singh Sandhu from the meeting with the governor over the enquiry into fake encounters amounted to a mutiny.

Mann alone held the view that the police had been exercising extra constitutional authority in Punjab. Mann said the governor should either dismiss the police officers under Article 311 of the constitution or resign. Balbir Singh Rajewal Secretary of the Bharatya Kisan Union Punjab said now that it had been proved two innocent youths had been killed in a fake encounter, the police had made it into a prestige issue. He said what had happened at the governors meeting proved that there was no govt in the state. It was not clear if it was the police or the governor who ruled the state. Rajewal said when accompanied by Lakhbir Singh of Samrala took four Hanjans to Raj Bhavan to produce them before: the governor to apprise him of how the police recorded testimony, the four were taken to a separate room by the DGP Rajewal wanted to know whether the Raj Bhavan was also an interrogation center?

Later the Harijans met the governor and told him their story. Rajewal it may be recalled heads the BKU unit which is close to the govt.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 29, 1990