CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Human Rights Organisations averred that Sikh welder, Sukhdev Singh had died of fatal injuries caused by the Jaladhar Police and his body was recovered from near the Sahnewal town in Ludhiana Distt. On October 2.
The PHRO General Secretary Mr.DSS. Gill in a statement said Nandpur Welding works’ proprietor, Sukhdev Singh alias Kaka (22) had been beaten with rods, bricks and rifle butts to death on October 1 while he was nabbed, after the chase, by the Jalandhar CIA police party at Sahnewal near the Rice Sheller in the fields.
The matter was investigated by a three member PHRO team comprising Dr. Labh Singh Gill, Mr ‘Surjit Singh Rai and Mr.Harchand Singh Gill, both advocates. The investigation team visited the spot and interviewed several persons including deceased’s father Harpal Singh, constable Jaswant Singh (Uncle), his younger brother Baldev Singh, Avtar Singh & Kashmir Singh.
According to the committees’ findings, the Jalandhar Police, after picking up Kulwant Singh allies Kanti from Mangli Nichi village and Baldev Singh from their shop at Sahnewal, raided Nandpur village at 10 A.M. on October | in search of Sukhdev Singh. He was not there. On their return, the police rounded up Darshan Singh, Kanti’s brother from the shop, who, on beating, disclosed that Sikhdev Singh was sitting at Thekedar Vashnu Dhaba.
The police reached the Dhaba. Sukhdev Singh, on seeing the police ran away in the fields where he was beaten to death. Baldev Singh and Kanti were, then, taken by the police to Jalandhar, the report continued.
According to the constable, Jaswant Singh, Uncle of the deceased who is posted at Ludhiana, the Jalandhar police after secretly, informing the Sahnewal Police, visited Nandpur village the next day and said that they had not arrested. Sukhdev Singh. They suggested searching him near the Rice Sheller. Interestingly, the body was recovered from there, the report added.
The postmortem report signed by Dr.G.S. Garewal mentioned at least ten grievous injuries on the body including its head. The testicles were pulled out to cause his death. While on the other hand, the police propagated that Kaka died of poison taken by him.
Baldev Singh told the PHRO team after his release from the police that the police party consisting of S.L Jaswant Singh, ASI Raj Kumar, Gurbax Singh Piara Singh and Jassi, was responsible for his brother’s killing.
The PHRO while urging the need for judicial enquiry into the matter, called upon the people of Punjab to raise their voice against the police brutalities. It has also sent the report to UN commission on human rights and Amnesty international seeking their intervention.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 9, 1990
