BRAMPTON, ONT.CANADA: The Sikh Human Rights Group condemns the kidnapping of Mr. Manjit Singh a resident of village Butala, District Amritsar in Punjab; Mr. Singh was picked up by armed Punjab policemen from his residence on July 27, 1996 in front of his family. He has not been produced in court and his whereabouts remain unknown. It is feared that Mr. Singh may face torture and murder while in police custody. The group is very concerned about the circumstances surrounding his abduction and his safety.
This kidnapping has taken place amid an investigation report by the Central Bureau of Investigation concerning human rights activist Mr. Jaswant Singh Khalra’s abduction by the Punjab police. The repot claimed that nine members of the police force were directly involved in the kidnapping of Mr. Khalra. The Supreme Court has directed the Punjab government to sanction the prosecution of the nine policemen. This kidnapping leads the group to believe that Punjab police remains criminalized.
Sikh Human Rights Group is also concerned about the detention of Mr. Kanwarpal Singh Chawla. Mr. Chawla, a Khalistan protagonist, was living in Bangkok, Thailand peacefully with a valid work permit before he was abducted by the Thai police on July 15, 1996. He was denied access to friends and legal advice. Without any legal proceedings Mr. Chawla was deported to India on July 16, 1996. The group is very concerned about the way Mr. Chawla was deported from Thailand. The Thai authorities should have allowed Mr. Chawla to seek legal advice before his deportation. Furthermore, both India and Thailand should have gone through legal channels regarding Mr. Chawla.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 14, 1996
