RATTANGAREH: The bhog of an akhand path for Bhai Inderjit Singh Rattangarh was held here. Bhai Rattangarh had just been appointed as a member of the Panthic Committee on April 13, but was killed by the police after inhuman torture on April 15 (WSN, April 21).
Bibi Bimal Kaur Khalsa, wife of the late Bhai Beant Singh, addressed the gathering and expressed her surprise at the statement of the Punjab police chief K.PS. Gill in which he said that Bhai Rattangarh was killed after swallowing cyanide.
However Inspector General Subeh Singhhad said that he was killed in a police encounter. The discrepancy in there two account: made the extra judicial killings by the police very evident, she said.
All Akali Dal leaders were just a pack of power hungry people with no moral or religious commitment she added. They had themselves led the government when the police had killed Sikhs in fake encounters. How can they be straight faced in condemning them now, she asked,
There were no criminal charges against Bhai Ratangarh, He had) been fighting against social injustices she added.
Karnail Singh Punjabi general secretary of the All India Youth Akali Dal, was amongst other leaders who addressed the gathering and paid tributes to Bhai Rattangarh.
A representative of Babbar KhaIsa said that the repressive police officers who were responsible for the torture and deaths of innocent young Sikh youths would be dealt with. He singled out Punjab police chief KPS Gill, S.S.P.S Swaran Singh and Gobind Ramas the two main people responsible for state terrorism in Punjab.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 12, 1989
