HAMILTON, Ont., Can.: Jathedar Talwinder Singh, leader of the Babbar Khalsa group in Canada was released along with four others as the case against them collapsed when Crown Attorney Dean Beckwith refused to release the information contained in four or five pages of affidavits on the plea that it would identify the informants. After the Crown submission, Ontario Supreme Court Justice Dave Want ruled the men were not guilty.
On Friday. Judge Want ruled all information in 30 page affidavit used to convince a judge to grant R.C.M_P. investigators permission to use for the prosecution of the Sikh accused must be disclosed to defense lawyers or the conversation could not be used as evidence. 105 conversations recorded from telephones, vehicles and aero planes formed the core of the Crown case. After months of elaborate security precautions including going to court in 45 police trucks, the five Sikhs came out of the court yesterday as free men.
Police had also put sharp shooters outside on buildings in the area and conducted electronic searches.
Talwinder Singh Parmar of British Columbia, Canadian leader of the Babbar Khalsa, a group seeking an independent homeland for the Sikhs has been in custody for the last ten months. After the acquittal Talwinder Singh said that the case had put a great strain on the men, families and Sikhs across the country. This should not happen in the justice of this country which is a democratic country. Other accused were Sarmukh Singh Lakhan, Surjit Singh Deol, Sant Singh Thiara and Tejinder Singh Uter.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 24, 1987
