ROPAR: Mystery shrouds the death of six Sikh youths in an alleged encounter with the police near Morinda in the district. The police find relatives of the deceased have made contradictory claims.

The Bar Association of Ropar district at an emergency meeting on Wednesday Jan 9 decided to investigate the circumstances that led to the encounter. The association has appointed an eight member committee of senior lawyers to enquire into the incident and report its findings to the bar on January 14.

Mr Shamsher Singh Rai president of the bar told newsmen here that the Bar had taken up the issue following a written complaint by the relatives and certain prominent citizens of the area. He said that some members of the bar expressed doubts over the police version and demanded a probe. Mr Rai said the bar had also condemned the behaviour of the police with relatives of the victims and residents of the area when the latter had gone to the police station to get the bodies.

The residents of the area have demanded a judicial enquiry into the encounter It has also been alleged that the people including the relatives of the victims were baton-charged near the cremation ground on Sunday

The complainants allege that the youths were killed after they were picked up from their houses. They claim that there were nine youths in the truck and the whereabouts of the rest were not known.

The district police on the other hand maintains that the youths were killed in an encounter and a constable was killed by the militants It claims that the truck in which the militants were travelling was snatched from someone near Sirhind on Saturday night at about 10 p. m The encounter near Morinda took place around midnight. The truck (PCK 5055) is owned by one Sohan Singh and is in the custody of the police.

The police have claimed that the militants killed in the encounter were suspected activists of the Bhindranwale Tigers Force (BTF). They have clarified that BSF men were involved in the encounter. Over 200 shots were fired during the encounter the police said.

Meanwhile the Bar Association has given the names of members of the Enquiry Committee as Mr Shamsher Singh Rai chairman Mr Rajinder Singh Mr Bhupinder Singh Mr Megh Raj Mr Banwari Lal Mr H.S. Paul Mr K.R. Joshi and Mr Gur Jaspal Singh.

The bar has appealed to the people of the area to cooperate with the enquiry committee.

Article extracted from this publication >>