CHANDIGARAH, India, Jan. 12, Reuter: Gunmen in northern Punjab state today killed four women in what police called a second attempt to undermine their information network by unleashing violence on the families of suspected informers.
Gunmen shot dead the wife, two daughters and a woman tenant of Shamsher Singh near Tarn Taran town in Amritsar district.
Police told Reuters the gunmen suspected Singh of giving police information on freedom fighters’ who are fighting for a separate Sikh state in Punjab.
Gunmen killed a government party worker they believed to be an informer along with six of his
family members near the Sikh holy city of Amritsar last Thursday.
An Amritsar police officer told Reuters that freedom fighters had adopted a new form of intimidation tactics.
“The freedom fighters are attempting to undermine the police information system in the state” he said.
Police said gunmen also shot dead a police constable today near the industrial city of Jullundur.
The deaths brought the toll so far this year to 27 in the state where last year at least 697 people were killed in political violence, according to unofficial figures.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 16, 1987
