WSN Service
AMRITSAR: Congress I leader Dilbagh Singh Daneka accused the police of harassing and illegally detaining the innocent children, women and aged relatives of militants in the Tarn Taran police district.
Addressing a press conference, he said the police were using questionable means to tackle the problem and were complicating the already delicate situation by their pressure tactics. A feeling of alienation and anger was rampant despite the Govt efforts.
Dilbagh Singh who belongs to Daneke village alleged that the police repression was so severe that to escape it several youths he knew had run away from home to join the militants. Pakistan was not training as many militants as were being made in Indian interrogation centers he said. He said he was opposed to militancy and that the youth could be brought back by love and persuasion and not by repression means.
He said it would not help to detain and question women and children on grounds they were distant relatives of militants. There were instances where 90 year old men and 12 year old boys were illegally detained and tortured. He spoke of six such cases in the Tarn Taran area recently.
According to Dilbagh Singh, Tejinderjit Singh of Kajikot village was picked up by the cops on July 20. He is still in custody. The boy’s father Piara Singh, manager of Central Cooperative Bank, has made repeated representations that his family had no links with militants.
In another instance, Piara Singh (70) of Daneke village was in lock-up for the past 10 days because his son was married to a militant’s sister.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 10, 1990
