LUDHIANA: On January 17 1992 news appeared in a section the press that a Babbar Khalsa activists Gurmeet Singh “Champion” was killed in an encounter with the police at Gill Road Ludhiana. Contrary to the news PHRO received information that the Babbar was killed in cold blood by a police cat.

A PHRO team consisting of its Chairman D.S. Gill and General Secretary M.S. Grewal investigated the matter. The team met a number of witnesses including Jathedar Ujagar Singh Chapa Gurmeet Singhs uncle (father’s brother) Mann Singh and Comrade Bhag Singh. They stated that the “boy” was killed in their presence. Ranjit Singh Sohal a hardware merchant and Jaswant Singh a cement stockiest whose shops are close (0 the site of the incident also testified that the police version was totally false and fabricated and that not encounter took place. How Champion was killed? According to the police version (FIR No 17 dated 16.1.92 Division No6 under sections 307 IPC and 25/54/59 Anns Act) a police party led by Ludhiana CIA Inspector Manmohan Singh was going in a car on the Gill Road. The Inspector spotted Gurmeet Singh walking from the other side and tried to apprehend him. Gurmeet Singh {00k out a mouse from his pocket and started firing The police party immediately took up positions and returned the fie. Gurmeet Singh fired four rounds whereas I2rounds were fired by the police party comprising constables Narinder Pal Parkash Chand and Kulwinder Singh along with the Inspector. In the process “Champion” was killed?

“According to the eye-witness account on January 16 at about 12 noon Gurmeet Singh was going on a rickshaw from Gill roundabout towards Arora Palace cinema A cement trick was being unloaded at the cement depot of Bhag Singh Gill opposite Deepak Meedecos shop near the CTI. Due to the obstruction the rickshaw stopped just outside the depot. A man in civil clothes who was limping came out of a van that was following and fired two shots at Gurmeet Singh There were three more persons in the van who were in police uniforms.

Bhag Singh said: “Both the shots were fired by the same person Gurmeet Singh did not fire any shot nor did he have any weapon on his person at that time as was revealed when the killer searched his pockets. Moreover he did not even try t0 escape but was shot totally unaware.”

After the shoot-out the tame persons entered Bag Singh’s office with a pistol in his hand and telephoned some police official SSP Raj Kishan Bedi) to give information the he had killed Gurmeet Singh Babbar. During his conversation with Bhag Singh and on telephone he identified himself by three different names Kulwant Sukhwant and Teja.

No Proper Cremation

“The police removed he dead body from there after half-an-hour. After the postmortem the police hurriedly cremated the body. The body was not handed over to the family in spite of the fact that the officials of the Division No 6 had full knowledge that his uncle Mann Singh lived in their area.

Even the last rites of Gurmeet Singh were not allowed to be performed properly On January 24 that is a day before the Bhog ceremony the police raided their house in Saidowal Khurd village and warned all those present there of dire consequences if they did not leave the place before the Bhog next morning. They even slapped one Swarm Singh of Bhathhian village that had gone there to attend the Bhog ceremony. On January 25 barricades were put up on all the roads leading to the deceases house. No one was allowed to join the 1st prayer. A 70- year-old woman Beant. Kaur was dragged out of the room and abused. Sarpanch Hazoora Singh was illegally detained by the policy for three hours when he said he would attend the ceremony.

Killing of Sikh youths by police “cats” is not a new phenomenon in Punjab. It has been stepped up in Ludhiana since Raj Kishan Bedi took over as SSP in January 1992 Known criminals who recognize certain Sikh militants by virtue of the police force as special police officers or are even otherwise deputed to kill such militants where ever they are spotted. The police “cat” Teja had stayed with Champion in Sangrur jail a few months ago. Teja is an opium smuggler and is very close to Raj Kishan Bedi

Born on 3 March 1962 Gurmeet Singh (son of Sohan Singh) after obtaining a diploma in Electrical Engineering from ITI Batala joined Arihant Fabrics Malerkotla as an electrician and worked there for more than three years. During this period he came in contact with his mother sister’s son Paramjit Singh Bhangala. He was then an underground activist of the All India Sikh Students Federation. Bhangala was later killed by the police

Harassed for many years

It was in 1988 that Gurmeet Singh was first picked up by the Hoshiarpur police from his Malerkotla residence. After keeping him in illegal custody at police station Tanda for a few days the police charged him under TADA for murder and carrying arms.

He was then sent to Hosiarpur jail From there he was brought to Ludhiana on Production warrant and charged for the murder of two policemen in district courts Ludhiana in the process of freeing Bhai Anokh Singh Babbar from police custody. Similarly he was charged for the murder of Shiv Sena leaders of Phillaur and Malerkoula and was sent to Sangrur High Security jail. He was released on bail after about a year but was again picked up from the very gate 6 the jail and transported to Kahnuwan police station in Gurdaspur district. After registering two cases of murder he was sent to Gurdaspur al from where he was released on bail after about six months.

Thereafter he tried to settle peacefully at his home but the police continued harassing him and as result he left his vllage to settle himself elsewhere. But in 1989 he was again arrested by the Dhuri police from Rohira village in Sangrur district along with Harbhajan Singh Rohira.

Gurmeet Singh was subjected to severe torture in Ladha Kothi torture center and Amargarh Police station while in illegal custody. He was again framed for murders and dacoity. After keeping him in custody for long the police sent him to judicial lockup at Sangrar.

He was on bail since February 1991 till the fateful day of January 16, 1992.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 17, 1992