LUDHIANA: The International Human Rights Organization has refuted the police story that the Khalistan Liberation Force chief, Gurjant Singh Budh Singh wala was killed in an armed encounter at Ludhiana on July 29 and termed the police version as totally false and fabricated.

Releasing its report to the press, the organization said that FIR No 135, dated 30,7.92, regarding the killing is not based on facts. According to this police report, Gurjant Singh had fired 105 shots and hurled two grenades at the police, whereas the police had fired 951 rounds. This story, according to IHRO, was concocted only to show the “bravery” of SSP Sidantli Chartopadhya, SP Balwant Singh Gill, DSPs Narinder Pal Singh, Nachhattar Singh and Gurmail Singh and inspector Manmohan Singh.

The IHRO investigation team comprising of its general secretary, Mohinder Singh Grewal, Gurbhajan Singh Gill, Bhupinder Singh Somal and Balbir Singh Sooch, after visiting the site of the “encounter” and interviewing several eye-witnesses, said in its report that in fact, no encounter did take place, as at that time Bhai Gurjant Singh was totally unarmed.

According to the residents of the locality, not more than 150 rounds were fired and that too in a few minutes around 10:15 p.m. and a few shots were heard early next morning, whereas the police has alleged that more than a thousand shots were fired in the encounter lasting an hour and a half. Moreover, neither the witnesses testified the explosion of grenades nor did the IHRO team find any signs of explosion on the site.

According to the report, Bhati Gurjant Singh was staying in house number 95/A, Model Town Extension, belonging to one Kaur Singh, on 7-29-92. At about 10 p.m. when on definite information, the police encircled the said house, Gurjant Singh who at that time was in the verandah and was unarmed when found the door of the room bolted from inside, ascended the stairs empty-handed and jumped into the vacant plot behind. Inspite of the area having been very heavily cordoned off, the police instead of trying to apprehend him started firing on him from all sides.

Article extracted from this publication >> September 4, 1992