AMRITSAR: The Akal Federation chief, Bhani Kanwer Singh Dhami, and his wife, Kulbir Kaur, deposed in, the court of the District and Sessions Judge, Mr. G.L. Chopra, here in connection with the inquiry into the disappearance of Baba Charan Singh Thathi Khara of the Kar Seva Sect here Dec.2nd.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on June 15, 1994, had asked the District and Sessions Judge, Amritsar, to hold an inquiry into the disappearance.

Mr. and Mrs. Dhami are currently lodged in Burail Jail, Chandigarh.

Mr, Dhami told the court that he was nabbed from Ahmedabad on May 17, 1993, and was brought to the CIA. staff at Tarn Taran the next evening. He saw Baba Charan Singh there, The SSP, Mr. Ajit Singh Sandhu, himself was with the CTA staff to interrogate Baba.

Mr. Sandhu told him that Baba had promised him to pay Rs 50 lakh collected from militants but had now backed out.

At night, he added, both he and Baba were locked up in a room of the CIA staff Baba told him that the Tarn Taran police had killed his brother, driver and a few close relatives. The police also took away his vehicles and ‘wheat worth several lakhs.

Both he and Baba were interrogated and tortured by Mr. Sandhu and the CTA staff the next day. In the evening, Mr. Khubi Ram, SP (Operation), took Baba away and after that he did not see him.

Mrs. Kulbir Kaurstated that she was picked up by the Tam Taran police from the Baroo Sahib hostel in Himachal Pradesh on May 19, 1993, and brought to Tam Taran, She said the police misbehaved with heron the way. When she lodged a complaint about it with Mr. Sandhu, Mr. P.S. Teja, DSP, slapped her at the instance of the SSP. She said her husband was also tortured in her presence.

She said while going towards the toilet, she saw two men locked up in a room, One of them cried and told her that he was Baba Charan Singh, the Tam Taran police had taken away all valuables from his dera and had been torturing him. He requested her to save his life. After the third day, he was not seen again.

Article extracted from this publication >> December 8, 1995