CHANDIGARH: There are serious apprehensions that Akali Dal Mann leader Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann might be soon eliminated by the Indian Government. The police in Punjab is making out a case that Mann who has links with militant organizations has been responsible for getting killed a large number of them by acting as a police informer and now his life is threatened by them.
A press release issued by the Shirmoni Akali Dal Mann, says that the government got a news item inserted in a daily “Sunday Mail’ issued from Delhi stating that Mann had been all along acting as a police informer and was responsible for the elimination of a large number of militants. Soon afterwards the Senior Superintendent of police, Tam Tarn, Ajit Singh Sandhu issued a statement that he had received a greetings message from Mann after the killing of Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, chief of the Bhindranwala Tigers Force. The latest development being that the Senior Superintendent of Police, Ropar, Sanjeev Gupta issued a statement that the personal diary of a militant Major Khan alias Maijji, a Lt Gen of BKI contained entries that Mann had links with militants.
It is feared that the police has already made out a case that Mann is on the hit list of militants seeking revenge. The police has already eliminated advocate Kulwant Singh of Roparalong with his entire family. Kulwant Singh was a member of the Akali Dal Mann and one of its district presidents, Simranjit Singh Mann has been a vociferous advocate for Khalistan and has exposed many acts of Govt; oppression in Punjab. The police are quite capable of getting Mann eliminated, they have the resources and the ability. If such a crime is committed it will be another blow to free expression and an indication of the degradation of political life that has set in India.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 19, 1993
