Aman deep Kaur, a newly married Sikh girl of 20, was allegedly killed by some unidentified gunmen at her village Pipli in Bathinda district, reported a section of Punjabi media on January 24, 1992, quoting a police version of the incident. But she was on Punjab Human Rights Organization record as saying: “| have gone underground to escape myself from the Bathinda Senior Superintendent, Police, Harkishan Singh Kahlon because he is after me…”
She was a sister of Sikh activist Harpinder Singh Goldi alias Pamma of the Khalistan Commando Force (Punjwar). She earlier underwent a horrowing experience at the hands of the Bathinda police. She was tortured, dishonoured and maltreated in several police stations of the district along with her husband, Jaswinder Singh Sraa, and her father, Jaswant Singh, for no crime other than being the sister of KCF activist engaged in the ongoing active Sikh struggle for Khalistan.
Harpinder Singh Goldi (16), who was then a student of 10+1 class left home in August 1991 following continuous raids and harassment by the police, to join the underground movement.
The tragic story of Aman deep Kaur was recorded in her own words by Punjab Human Rights Organization activists, D.S. Gill and Gurbhajab Singh Gill, in early January 1992. In her
statement. she described: “Jaswinder Singh Sraa son of Surjeet Singh of Jassowal village, Ludhiana district, was born and brought up in the U.K. He at present lives at 7349 Carbrett DR, Mississagua, Ontario (L4T-2R6), Canada, Phone No. 416-677-2034. He came to India on October 12, 1991 for marriage on October 24. We along with my father Jaswant Singh, village Headman Bhag Singh and member Panchayat Meet Singh went to the office of sub-registrar, Rampura Phul, for registration of the marriage. As we came out of the court room, the SHO, Phul picked up three of us, me, my husband and my father. We were taken to Phul police station where S.S.P., Kahlon, S.P. (Detective) Mohkam Singh, D.S.P. Aulakh and S.P. (Operations) were present. The S.S.P. on seeing us promptly ordered that my two male relations be stripped naked in my presence. He then took out the picture of his slain son and addressing them remarked that he had taken the revenge for the murder (by dishonouring me, the sister of an underground Sikh activist). Kahlon then started abusing my husband and my father. He took hold of a lathi to beat the two. It was then the turn of his subordinates who beat us with their leather belts. The S.S.P. ordered that my husband and my father slap each other. After this cruel exercise, we were blindfolded. I was relieved of my two wedding rings, a pair of ear-rings and one golden chain. From my husband, the S.S.P. snatched 500 dollars, a bracelet of 3.5 tolas and his wedding ring. My father was similarly robbed of Rs. 2500. | and my husband were put into our van PCL-8433. We heard S.S.P. directing his staff to set our house on fire and bring the wife and younger daughter of Jaswant Singh (my mother and my sister) to the police station for similar treatment, After Kahlon left, we were brought back to the police station. While my husband and father were put in the lock-up, | was kept out for maltreatment. Early next morning we three were taken to Sardulgarh by our van. On October 27, my mother, Surjeet Kaur, was brought to us. She told us her story of dishonour, torture and maltreatment. She was kept in Rampura police station and at the head office of C.I.A. Bathinda.
“In our absence, the police from Rampura Phul ransacked our house and removed all our belongings. The village panchayat was not let anywhere near the house. No seizure report was prepared and handed over to the panchayat or anyone else.
“|, my mother and father were kept in Sardulgarh police station for 12 days. But my husband was removed to Phul police station on October 29. The S.S.P. was present there. He ordered my husband’s release on October 30 telling him to forget about his marriage to me and leave India immediately which he did the next day. In the meantime, the village panchayat came to know of our detention at Sardulgarh and they came there to rescue us but we were removed stealthily to Boha police station. At Bhoa I was not given even water for washing under S.S.P.’s order. We were maltreated there (the woman was reluctant to give details of the maltreatment).
“After eight days, the three of us were removed from Boha to C.1.A., Bathinda. My mother and | were released from three weeks of illegal detention. My father was kept in C.I.A. Bathinda and at Phul and was produced in a court on November 30. A case was registered against him.
“While we were in police custody, Jaswinder Singh (resident of 5 Morley Close, Langley, Slough, Berkshire-5L3-80N) who happens to be brother of my father, telephoned Director General, Police, Punjab, Karmpal Singh Gill at telephone No. 753-546840 requesting him to intervene but Gill told him that Kahlon did not listen to his advice.
“We have learnt that the SSP had picked us up because on October 23, 1991, some militants had abducted six traders of Phul and the police suspected my 16-year-old brother, Harpinder Singh Goldy alias Pamma’s hand in the abduction. My brother had gone underground in the wake of police harassment in August 1991 when he was studying in class 10 + | have gone underground to escape further humiliation and torture because the SSP, Harkishan Singh Kahlon is after me, for unknown reasons. Because of the “treatment” given to my husband, he has left me and does not wish to keep me as his wife any long.”
Aman deep Kaur was underground when her statement was recorded in the Punjab Human Rights Organization head office at Ludhiana. The police had ransacked her father’s house and had decamped with all the belongings. But the police played a game. It restored all the looted goods to her father’s house and assured the villagers that Aman deep would not be harassed any longer. Taking the police word at its face value, the girl went to her father’s house on January 21 afternoon, the day her father was bailed out of the jail.
Jaswant Singh, too, was persuaded by the police to get bail. He did not trust the police and stayed away from the village on that day. Aman deep’s mother Surjit Kaur was at home but had gone to someone’s house in the village when two gunmen with muffled: faces, believed to be Bathinda SSP, Kahlon’s private hitmen, raided the house and shot dead Aman deep on January 21 at 7.30 p.m.
“My newly-married daughter had, thus, been killed by the police hitmen”, Jaswant Singh informed the PHRO.
The KCF Chief, General Paramjit Singh Panjwar also alleged that the SSP, Kahlon’s “Black Cats” had killed Aman deep Kaur (Daily Ajit, 1.2.1992)
The Punjab Human Rights Organisation representatives had given Aman deep’s statement, alleging maltreatment, torture and expressing fear of elimination at the hands of the police, to the Canadian three member Parliamentary team visiting India at Chandigarh on January 19. They, instead of expressing sympathy with the girl and bringing the matter to the notice of Indian authorities, issued an unfortunate statement at Amritsar, the other day, alleging that Sikh activists, too, were violating human rights. This kind of approach encouraged the Indian police to eliminate Aman deep Kaur.
PHRO, therefore, calls upon the world public opinion to take note of these gruesome murders at the hands of the Indian law forcing agencies or their hit squads. It also calls upon UN Human Rights Committee, Amnesty International, Asia Watch and other International Human Rights Groups and Parliamentarians specially the Canadian MPs who _ had recently visited Punjab, to take up the matter with the Indian government to put an end to these barbarities.
