LUDHIANA: The Punjab Human Rights Organization Chairman, Mr. D.S. Gill, who released to the press a report said that Khalistan Commando Force (Zaffarwal) activist Bhai Baghel Singh Abbuwal’s family and relatives had been the victim of the recent police repression.
According to Mr. Gill, Ludhiana police raided Bhai Abbuwal’s house at mid-night of May 2 and picked up his 85-yr-old crippled grandfather Nambardar Rampartap Singh, uncles Mohinder Singh and Ujagar Singh, and his cousin Bant Kaur (22). Before leaving the house, he said, the police posse demolished all household goods including doors, windows, almirahs and electric fans. Not even a glass to drink water was spared. Cattle were untethered. Villagers were threatened not to touch bundles of harvested wheat crop and cultivate the family’s lands.
The matter was investigated by a two-member team of the Organization comprising its general secretary Mr. Mohinder Singh Grewal and Mr. M.I.S. Dhillon who visited Abbuwal village and met several persons.
Meanwhile, Bhai Baghel Singh’s other relatives were rounded up by the police from about half-a- dozen villages. His father Kamail Singh, mother and all three brothers had already left the house to go elsewhere due to frequent police raids, searches and harassment.
It seems a retaliatory action by the police as they suspect the KCF (Zaffarwal)’s hand in the kid- napping of late DIG Ajit Singh’s brother from Ludhiana a few days ago, the report added.
The PHRO, in its report, condemned the retaliatory attitude of the police against the innocent relatives of the underground youth and demanded their immediate release, action against the guilty officials and damages for the destruction of the property and crops amounting to Rs.1,50,000/.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 5, 1991
