NEWYORK: Mary Boresz Pike, A prominent lawyer with the office of Somerstein and Pike has added her voice to those calling for the immediate release of Justice Ajit S. Bains,
Justice Bains is a stalwart human rights activist. International ally known for his work on behalf Of those falsely incarcerated, he is now in the same situation, Amnesty International’s research into the case currently reported that, “Ajit Singh Bains was arrested on April 3,1992 at 10:30 am in Chandigarh. He was reportedly taken to Sector 11 police station, Chandigarh, and from there to Ropar police station. Although his arrest was apparently denied by the senior superintendent of Police, Ropar District, he was reportedly produced before the Deputy Commissioner, Ropar (on Saturday April4, According to several witnesses, Ajit Singh Bains was brought handcuffed by members of the police and paramilitary forces to his house in Chandigarh on Sunday April 5, and his house was searched, but he was taken away after the search by police.
At 12 a.m. on the following day, April 6, Rachhpal Kaur Bains, the wife of Ajit Singh Bains, was able to see her husband for about five minutes in Anandpur Sahib police Station, Ropar District. He reportedly complained to her that he had been beaten shortly after his arrest. The: police apparently showed her three First Information Repons (FIR) which at allegedly referred to his arrest with several theirs under the Terrorist and Disruptive activities Prevention) Act in connection with recent speeches made at a Sikh religious event on March 28 in Anandpur Sahib, His name, however, does not appear on these First Information Repons. A habeas corpus Petition was filed by his son on April 6, The Punjab High Count has reportedly ordered that he be Produced before them on Wednesday April 8.
“Amnesty International regularly receives reports that officials fail to acknowledge the detention or where abouts of people arrested on suspicion of being members or sympathizers of one of the Sikh opposition groups advocating separate Sikh state, “Khalistan Previously, the Punjab press carried several articles in which Ajit Singh Bains alleged that he had received death threats from the Punjab police warning him to cease his activities with the Punjab Human Rights Organization, which he chairs.
Detainees are often not brought before a magistrate within24hours of arrest, a8 required in all cases under the provisions of section 57 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Sometimes people are held in illegal detention for weeks and sometimes months under special legislation granting the security forces arbitrary powers to arrest and detain people without ordinary legal safeguards. During the initial period of detention, detainees are often held incommunicado and tortured or ill-treated. In some cases the detainees are eventually found to have died in custody, while others are found to have been deliberately killed in custody although official reports say they died in “encounters” with the police.
Amnesty International would deeply appreciate if appeals were made expressing concern about the reports that Ajit Singh Bains waste portably taken away on April 3,1992 by Punjab police for unknown reasons; urging that reports Of his arrest be investigated and that he be allowed immediate access to lawyers and relatives and be brought before a magistrate forthwith; seeking assurances that Ajit Singh Bains is being humanely treated and is granted full legal safeguards while in custody and urging that he be immediately released if he is not to be charged with a recognizably criminal offense.” Please send telegrams and airmail letters to:
Surinder Nath Governor of Punjab Office of the Governor Chandigarh
Punjab, Indi (Telegrams Punjab State Governor, Chandigarh, Punjab, India)
K P S. Gill
Director General of Police Headquarters Chandigarh
Punjab, India (Telegrams Director General Police, Chandigarh, Punjab, India)
Please send copies of your appeals to Punjab Human Rights Organization:
Head Office
- NC. 22, Sector 2 Chandigarh (L.T.) Punjab, India
Mary Pike, who also represents R.S. Gill and Sukhminder S. Sandhu sent an impassioned ewer to several officials asking that they too join in asking for information regarding the release of Justice Bains.
Sending letters to the Governor Of Punjab, DG of Police, the Ambassador of India, Amnesty International, Int. Human Rights Group an Rep, Steven Solarz, she wrote, Justice Bains is personally know to me. Indeed, owing o his principled work in defense of human rights, he is well known by lawyers and by human rights activists in many countries, the United States included. Lam profoundly disturbed by the news of his arrest it is impossible not to be. Despite the warm relationship that prevails between our countries, the U.S. Department of State has acknowledged that human rights “problem areas” in India include “incommunicado detention for prolonged periods without charge under national security legislation” and torture and deaths of suspects in police custody.” See, e 4., U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1990, Given this, cannot but fear that Justice Bains is in grave danger.
I would respectfully request that You inquire into this matter immediately and that you urge your government to release Justice Bains forthwith, Until such time as he is released, I would urge you to take all steps necessary tissue that Justice Bains is treated humanely and with respect, that he is allowed regular and frequent visits with his family, that he be Permitted prompt and regular access to his advocate and that his advocate not be subject to harassment, that he receive due Process of law, the charges under TADA notwithstanding, and further, again notwithstanding the TTADA charges, that all proceedings be conducted in a place accessible to the press and to the public and that members of the Public and the press not be excluded from those proceedings,
Justice Bains safety and wellbeing are matters of great concern to many other individuals as well.”
W.S.N, asks that the community join in calling for the govt of India to release Justice Bains without delay.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 1, 1992
