CHANDIGARH: The case of the controversial “surrender” by a top militant ideologue, Kanwar Singh Dhami, took a new tum last week when the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Punjab government to produce him along with his wife and six year old son in the court on April 4.
The court issued the notice to the state of Punjab and senior superintendent of police, Ropar. On two separate public interest litigation petitions filed by Ranjan Lakabanpal and Inderjit Singh Jaijee, both human rights activists. Lakhanpal, through his counsels Naykiran Singh, Harbahajan Singh and Harshinder Singh, sought direction from the court to the government to produce the detainees and ensure their protection from being liquidated by the police in false encounter, Kanwar Singh had alleged that he was taken into custody 10 months back. He also alleged that he and his wife were tortured and threatened to enact the surrender drama. Jaijee’s cousel Mohinder Singh Sethi prayed for relief by way of shifting Kanwar Singh under judicial custody along with his family.
The star of this high tension drama, Kanwar Singh, who is about 42 years old, belongs to the earlier group of ideologues who were active before Operation Bluestar in 1984. A resident of Sandhrab Sodhian village under Hariana police station in Hoshiarpur district, he came into contact with the fire spitting head of the Damdami Taksal, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, sometime in 1981. The police record indicates that he was involved in petty incidents of crime. He was among the small group of people who moved. To the Golden Temple Complex in 1981. It was here that Kanwar Singh interacted with members of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, However, as Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Sant Bhindranwale had differences, he floated his independent organization Akal Federation in 1982 83, This self-styled organization gave a call for “Khalsa Raj” from within the Golden Temple complex and Started extremist activity. The organization remained very active till Operation Bluestar, However, his setup was never taken seriously by journalists and considered a “paper tiger.” He escaped from the Golden Temple complex during Operation Bluestar and crossed over to Pakistan along with his sister in Jaw, Kuldip Kaur, whom he married there, His six year old son, who is also in police custody now, was reportedly bom in Pakistan. His first wife is reported to be in his village in Hoshiarpur district. In Pakistan he came into contact with Wadhawa Singh and Sukhdev Singh Babbar, top leaders of the Babbar Khalsa.
Following differences with certain leaders, including Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, he set up his own Panthic Committee in 1987.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 8, 1994
