CHANDIGARH: As many as 14457 Sikhs have been in detention in Punjab, according to official figures available here.
These detainees are supporters of Khalistan and have been languishing for many years without trail or even a charge sheet. The number of persons arrested under TADA in the remaining states of India is 37,811 of which many are Sikhs.
Surprisingly, the number of TADA detainees in Gujarat alone is 14094 and in Assam 10779. The number of TADA detainees in Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmiris 5600 and 1826 respectively.
It is surprising to note that there is not a single person arrested in Punjab for ordinary crime and everybody has been booked under TADA. According to lawyers defending TADA detainees, the police investigation into ordinary crimes has come to a grinding halt in Punjab and most other Indian states.
‘The police find it convenient to keep people in jail under TADA. There is no need for painstaking enquiries and collection of evidence.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 15, 1993
