CHANDIGARH: India’s Punjab and Haryana high court early last Week dismissed a petition filed by two local human rights groups seeking production in court of Bhai Kanwar Singh, a Sikh militant leader, now in police detention.
The rights activists Rangan Lakhan Pal and Indenjit Singh Jaijee pleaded with judge J.B. Garg that they feared Bhai Kanwar Singh’s death at the police hands on his public refusal to surrender before India and touch the feet of police chief K-P.S. Gill In any case, they said, the militant might have to suffer torture because his action had Jed to the humiliation of Indian authorities and demanded that the court order medical examination of Bhai Kanwar Singh. The human rights activists also argued that there was no reason why the Six year old son of h militant should be kept in police custody.
Judge Garg dismissed the case on the ground that the militant was no longer in illegal custody as the police council had informed the court that a few cases of provoking rebellion against India had been registered.
The activists’ counsel insisted that the registration of the cases was merely a ruse to mislead the court because the militant and his pregnant wife had been in the custody of the police for more than 10 months.
The police advocate to the shock of the media denied that the militant had been brought to meet the Journalists by the police. He said the militant came to meet the media on his own.
The judge, however, ordered that the minor should be released provided a bail of R.s 3000 was furnished on his behalf. The judge also allowed advocates and human rights activists to meet Bhai Kanwara Singh now in the custody of the Ropar district police.
The Judge had earlier ordered the Punjab government to produce: Bhai Kanwar Singh in court but the police refused to do so. The Court revised its order and allowed the police to have its way.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 15, 1994
