CHHANDIGARH, India: The Punjab Human Rights Organization (PHRO), on Friday released the list of 6 persons arrested by the police and security forces and later shown to have been killed in encounters in Amritsar district.
Releasing the list, former Justice A.S. Bains demanded a judicial enquiry into all these killings saying these deaths had occurred either in police custody or in staged police encounters. Mr. Bains Claimed the report was based upon on the spot study conducted by the team of civil rights activists.
Mr. Bains and Mr. Sukhdev Singh, one of the organizations vice chairmen said apart from the 26 cases, 29 youths killed in alleged encounters remained unidentified.
Referring to the statement of the Director General of Police, Mr. JF. Ribeiro, that all these encounters were genuine and he had not received any complaint to the contrary, they said Mr. Ribeiro was now collecting affidavits from the relatives of the’ killed in his favor. Moreover, Mr. Ribeiro’s claim that no innocent had been killed in “encounters” was itself an implied’ admission of guilt. They have also questioned the police version about the freedom fighters getting killed in inner clashes.
‘According to the list of those {killed in encounters released by the Punjab police on Thursday, Bhupinder Singh, Sukhjinder Singh and ‘Shamsher Singh were killed in an encounter on May 20, One.32 bore pistol with four live and one ‘empty cartridges were recovered.
However, according to the PHRO report, they were arrested by the CRPF near Marian on May 18 while going in a jeep. While Bhupinder Singh was killed on the spot, the other two were killed near Mughal Chak later on May 20.
‘According to the report, Manjinder Singh and Harjinder Singh were arrested from the Amritsar bus stand on May 16 but were shown to have been killed in an ‘encounter on May 19 near Kakrala village under Ajnala police station.
The report has also questioned the claim of the government that Avuar Singh Peblwan and Rana Pratap Singh were killed after they escaped from police custody. Their report alleges that they were taken out of the jail and shot.
Jagjit Singh was arrested on June3 and shot on June 6. The list includes the names of Ajmer Singh, Lakhbir Singh Happy, Jaswant Singh, Mathra Singh, Zail Singh, Avtar Singh of Sultanwind. ‘Also there are Jaspal Singh, Lakhbir Singh, Amarjit Singh, Roop Singh, Ajmer Singh, Jaspal Singh Kandowali and Lakwinder Singh alias Sher Singh.
Referring to the case of Mathra Singh allegedly involved in the killings of Lalit Maken and Gen. AS. Vaidya, the report alleges that he was arrested from Rampur village and later killed near Malluwal. Similarly, Lakhwinder Singh Happy was arrested from Gujranwali street and his body ‘was shown to have been recovered from Talwandi Dassaundha Village.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 11, 1987
