The PHRO investigated and produced a series of reports suggesting false encounter killings in hundreds. A new phenomenon in evidence during the intervening period has been elimination of whole families including women and children. These killings have not only been disowned but also denounced by known militant groups including Panthic committees. Nevertheless the media and the public opinion as a whole have been led to believe that the militants groups in Punjab were the culprits. But the PHRO investigations do not bear out this charge fully. The militants groups do engage themselves in political assassinations of Govt security forces and police official’s members of rival factions and known police informers. But they invariably claim responsibility for the killings.
Much has been written by the PHRO about the counter-militant death squads sponsored by the State and other vigilante groups. The case in hand investigated by the PHRO team comprising Gurbhajan Singh Gill Mukeshinder Singh Dhillon and Naib Singh pertains to the killing of two young Sikhs of Tibba village in Sangtur district by the police and is “Cats” on April & The team met several villagers including parents of the victims and recorded their Statements.
According to the investigation report both Kuldip Singh alias Deepa (23) and Karnail Singh alias Happy (20) of Tibba village were picked up on the night of April 8 at about 11:30 p.m. by Constable Gurcharan Singh of Sherpur police station police “Cat” Devinder Singh Rasheen and a gang of six armed men posing themselves as militants. The young men were killed the same night at a nearby drain outside the village.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 6, 1991
