LONDON: Punjab’s Director General of Police K. P.S. Gill may be a fighter credited with having cleaned up much of the mess in Punjab but in London he met his match -in-a human rights activist who just wouldn’t take no for an answer
Gill here on a stopover from Barcelona where he received an international security award was drawn into a prolonged verbal duel which highlighted alleged disappearances in Punjab
The exchange occurred at a press conference at the Indian High Commission called ironically the publicize the police man’s success against militants
This particular case of alleged is appearance concerns a young an employee of the Punjab State Electricity Board Harjit Singh who is said to have disappointed after being arrested at a bus Pin Amritsar on April 29 1992. Though the official versions are fat Harjit Singh was killed by militants on May 12. 1992 his father Kashmir a Singh insists he Seen his son several times in Police custody after his on death including on May 26
August 9 and October 17 1992 goring to human rights activist is both Kashmiri Singh and the Warrant officer R. L. Bhat a were refused entry for one hour during which they saw Harjit handcuffed to a window on the first Noor Waving to them.
When they were allowed in they went up to find an empty room with only the handcuffs on the Window. The last time Kashmir a Singh says he saw his son in as recently as March 7 this year.
The police also threatened Kashmir Singh. The family began Staying away from home and Kashmir was careful to take a different route to and from work every day.
He pressed ahead with legal actions but the police contempt for the courts is blatant. The Punjab effectively is a police state
The case has had to be postponed again and again when police simply ignored judge’s orders. The policemen who refused the court’s town Warrant officer Entry to the Interrogation Center failed six times.
Some observers believe the judges themselves are into imitated. On three recent occasions the judge hearing the case has been absent.
One disturbing new development in the last few years says Amnesty is the arrest and disappearance of several lawyers journalists and human rights activists who have campaigned on of victims Of human rights i Know he is active: and The live absolutely that we will have him back in the family.
Gill may have been fore warned about the Harjit Singh case A noisy demonstration by Khalistanis and human rights activists: outside the High Commission compelled worried security staff into sneak in Gill a category risk through the back door
At the press conference Gill came up with unconvincing replies when he was confronted by the journalist Bryan Ruston who said he worked for the Labor Pany weekly The Tribune and had followed the case for two years.
Gills initial response was that Harjit Singh may be among thousands of Sikh youth who had settled down mostly in European countries claiming political discrimination at home. But the journalist was clearly not satisfied by the reply and asked why Gill had not bothered to say so earlier
In fact Rostron alleged Gill had not replied to his six faxes and seven letters on the matter and had failed to respond to court summonses in Punjab. Gill then said Courts have not asked me to appear India he said had a judicial system under which an official Summoned by a court could not but appear
Rostron reeled off dates of non-Appearances and Gill continued to deny the lot. The whole thing Gill Said may be a conspiracy. However Gill perhaps mindful of the adverse publicity a rigid position could generate then admitted that his department had made all efforts to trace out Harjit Singh. Finally Gill agreed to meet the journalist and an uncle of Harjit Singh here the next day promising that any policemen found involve in the Harjit Singh case would be handed out severe punishment. Mr. Rostron full report will appear in next week’s issue.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 22, 1994
