Hundreds of Akali Dal (B) workers led by Sukhjinder Singh along with members of the (formerly All-India) Sikh Students Federation on December 18 1989 tried to besiege the Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police (S.S.P.) Swaran Singh’s office as also the nearby office of the Crime Investigating Agency (C.LA.) to press the police to produce Anup Singh (32) a senior leader of the AISSF and Piara Singh (60) who were allegedly abducted by the police from Kassochahal and Lakhan Khurd villages respectively in the presence of local residents.

The Akali conscience pricked

Sukhjinder Singh who along with 500 political activists was rounded up by the Kartarpur police to frustrate the former’s attempt to besiege the police offices went on hunger strike till the detenues were set free or produced in court. Thousands of other villagers were prevented from joining the agitators by the police resulting in injuries to half a dozen activists.

Once again thousands of Akali Dal workers and AISSF activists on December 22 1989 besieged the police picket outside the C.I.A. building and in front of the office of the S.SP. Kapurthala demanding the production of the detenues and immediate release of all the protesters including Sukhjinder Singh who went on an indefinite hunger strike in the District Sub Jail at Kapurthala.

The important leaders who participated in the siege and picketing included G.S. Tohra President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (S.GP.C.) Thekedar Surjan Singh and Sunjit Singh Sandhu an AISSF leader. About 400 women led by Mohinder Kaur wife of Sukhjinder Singh staged a demonstration against the police. Prominent Hindus of the area also participated in the protest.

Tohra and Thekedar join the race

The Deputy Inspector General (D.I.G.) of Police D.R. Bhatti the next day directed the police to register cases against the police officials who had taken away Jathedar Piara Singh and Anup Singh. This decision was announced at a meeting of the District Development and Grievances Committee held under the chairmanship of N.K. Arora Commissioner Jalandhar Division.

Bhatti also directed the police to withdraw the case under section 107/151 Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C.) against Sukhjinder Singh and others. Sukhjinder Singh called off his nine day old strike on December 26 after I.K. Gujral Union Minister for External Affairs made an appeal to.do so. Accordingly all the political activists along with Sukhjinder Singh Were set free.

Gujarl’s appeal and withdrawal of agitation

 More than ten months have passed since the withdrawal of the agitation at Kapurthala. The police has not released or produced the two detenues in court nor have they taken steps to punish the guilty police officials

This investigation report by P.H.R.O pertains to the disappearance of Jathedar Piara Singh and the police atrocities on the members of his family

A Kartarpur “sadar” (main) police party led by Inspector Puran Singh raided the residence of Jathedar Piara Singh at Lakhan Khurd village on May 24,1989 and picked up his son Gurbachan Singh brother Amrik Singh and a few other villagers including Kapur Singh village revenue official Kulwinder Singh Bhagat Singh his two sons Amarjit Singh and Sukhdev Singh Gurdial Singh his two sons Amarjit Singh and Nirmal Singh and Sewa Singh his two sons Bhagwan Singh and Amrik Singh. They were taken to the Police Station. Jathedar Piara Singh and his other three sons were not at home at that time.

Next day Piara Singh’s wife Harbans Kaur and his daughter-in law Paramjit Kaur were also taken away by the same police party. In the evening the village elders assured the police that Piara Singh would be produced before them the next day and got the women released from the police. The police did not release others arrested by it

Jathedar Piara Singh “arrest “and torture

Sujit Singh head of the (“Panchayat”) village council Piara Singh’s son Anup Singh Rachhpal Singh Nishan Singh and Hardev Singh on May 25, 1989 produced Jathedar Piara Singh before the Deputy Superintendent of Police (D.S.P.) S.S. Bajwa as promised.

Next day the Jathedar was shifted to the sadar police station where he was brutally tortured by D.S.P. Kehar Singh Inspector Puran Singh A.S.I. Nirmal Singh and Constables Ram Saran Dass and Rattan Singh in the presence of the detained villagers namely Gurbachan Singh Mewa Singh Kapur Singh and Amrik Singh. Piara Singh was completely unrobed and was divested of his religious symbols The eye witness gave a detailed account of the hair-raising story of the torture. He was beaten with the butt-ends of rifles. The constables pulled his hair (from the head and beard) while police officers continued slapping him with their shoes. The DSP game him blows. They were seeking information from Piara Singh about the whereabouts of his absconding son Raghbir Singh alias “Bira”.

As Jathedar Piara Singh evidently had no knowledge the police continued with the torture. He was now tied to a rope. It’s other and passed through the ceiling fan hook. As the rope was pulled by two constables up went the detenues who now hung in a state of suspension in the air with his head positioned downwards. The police officials took up sticks to hit the old man till he lost consciousness while still in the air. The police then loosened the rope so that Piara Singh’s person landed on the floor. After a while the detenues regained consciousness. The police men again pounced upon him this time they took up a small log and rolled it on his thighs. His legs were pulled apart

The entire process of torture was repeated in the case of each of the other detenues. Gurbachan Singh was tortured and humiliated in the presence of his father in the same way.

All members of Amritdhari family held

While all others were released on June 30, 1989 Piara Singh his brother Amrik Singh and son Gurbachan Singh were kept illegally in detention as they were not produced in any court during that period. His brother and son were also set free on July 18 the police evidently used Piara Singh as a hostage so that his son’s surrender could be ensured.

After waiting for a few days the village elders Kapur Singh Sant Singh Amrik Singh and Gurmit Singh (Sarpanch) contacted the police to enquire about Piara Singh. D.S.P. Kehar Singh and Inspector Puran Singh told them that Piara Singh had suffered injuries as a result of the torture and that he was convalescing under their care. He would be released as soon as be recovered

The village council waited for another 10 days They then met D.I. G. D.R. Bhatti S.S.P. Swaran Singh and S.P. (Operations) Santokh Singh to seek Piara Singh’s release. These officers feigned ignorance and flatly denied the arrest.

As last resort the village group once again went to Sadar Police ‘Station where they were threatened with dire consequences in case they did not stop talking of Piara Singh. It was clear to the villagers that Piara Singh had been killed by the police in its custody and that further pursuit of the matter was futile.

In the meantime Piara Singh’s wife Harbans Kaur sent telegrams and registered letters to the President the Prime Minister Punjab Governor and Director General of Police (D.G.P.) requesting them to intervene in the matter and get Piara Singh released from the police. No one responded and the poor old woman felt lost in the race to rescue her husband.

The Army’s futile attempt

Constable Gurvinder Singh (No 14482066 K) serving in the Indian Army tried to move the Army administration for the release of his father For this purpose he wrote an application to his Army Headquarters 11 Corps who in tum asked HQ Jalandhar Sub-Area to liaise with the Kapurthala police Major S.P .Singh of HQ 23 (I) Armed Bde wrote directly to the DGP K-P.S. Gill.

The Punjab DGP wrote on August 41989 to the SSP Kapurhala directing him to report within 15 days the where abouts of Piara Singh. A copy of that note vas also sent to Gurvinder Singh. After this nothing was heard from The Civil Administration. The Army too fell silent.

Punjab Human Rights Organization (PHRO) received a letter from the detenues absconding son Raghbir Singh (24) in September1990. The PHRO immediately sent a two-member team comprising advocates Harchand Singh Gill and Mukesh Inder Singh Dhillon to investigate the entire matter

The PHRO team visited Lakhan Khurd village and interviewed members of Piara Singh’s family and members of the village council. The team also recorded statements of the persons concerned.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 18, 1991