“WSN Service

CHANDIGARH: Reported ‘of human rights violations by Indian Security forces continue to pour in from all over Punjab,

The Chandigarh police allegedly tried to kill or re-arrest a Sikh youth released by the designated court of MS, Lubana on November 8. The judge acquitted Bhupinder Singh and three “Others. The police had arrested them in June 1990. The Chandigarh police fired two gunshots at the car in which the acquitted youth was being driven away by his advocate near the District Court’s complex in Sector 17. The police surrounded the court complex in anticipation of the court verdict, While the other three youths Surinder Singh; Pradeep Singh and Rajinder Singh were again arrested and were sent to Chandigarh jail, Bhupinder Singh succeeded in escaping the police not after being acquitted judicially.

It is a normal practice for the Punjab police to re-arrest to Sikhs “youths even after they are balled o out or f acquitted by courts.

Newsman tortured in representation sent to the Indian Prime Minister, Rakesh Gaur, a Hindu journalist posted at Kurall in Ropar district, described the story of his torture and harassment at the hands of the Kurall police last week. He also narrated tie story to newsmen at Jalandhar: on November 9.

According to Gaur, the Kurall S.H.0, Sukhdev Singh called him to the police station on November at 7:30 a.m. On reaching _ there the S.H.O. along with 10 other policemen pounced upon him and started giving him a beating. The S.H.G. then asked ASA, Karnail Singh to record seizure of a revolver from him but the latter refused. The SHO then called A.S.I Bhupinder Singh, in charge of the city police post. Altera while Bhupinder Singh ordered he should be taken out. Gore’s hands were tied at his back. He was made to sit in a van. It was stated that he would be taken out near the canal for an encounter where he would be killed. He was instead taken to the Community Health Center, Kurali. It was 11:45 a.m. by the watch of a doctor present there. The ASI ordered the doctor to give him a medical certificate of his own description. The doctor obliged the police official and showed time on the medical report as 10:30. a.m. as the police official desired, The journalist was then taken to the Bus Stand police post where once again he was beaten up. He was also made to touch the feet of all the police employees present there in total submission. At 12:30 p.m. he was taken back to the police station where he was locked up. A guard on duty, Sant Ram who was presumably in a stale of intoxication, ordered him to keep standing. Otherwise, he would be shot dead. That way he was competed to keep standing the whole night. The next day he was handcuffed and taken out at 3:40 p.m. and paraded through Kurall’s streets. Then he was taken to a court al Ropar. The judge ordered a medical examination of Gaur. The police instead took him to Kurali again disregard the court order. The ASI there ordered a Hindu doctor to sign on a blank medical report which would be filled later by the police. The doctor did as he was ‘asked to do by the police official, The journalist was also ordered to sign on two blank pers. He was again taken to the city police post where once again he was beaten up, ASL Bhupinder Singh, Havildar Attar cua and others put dust into the journalist’s mouth and did “certain indescribable things to him. On November 5 the journalist was: sent to Ropar sub-jail.

The official charge against the journalist is that he forced shopkeepers to shut their shops. Another charge is that he quarreled with policemen and a fore up their clothes, The journalist says that there Is no question of asking shopkeepers to close their shops because it being a Sunday no shopkeeper had actually opened shop much less forcing closure at 9 at night.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 15, 1991