HANOVER, MA; The New England Sikh study circle questioned the propriety of Indian Judicial process in executing Satwant Singh and Karhar Singh in a resolution it argued:
1) While we support any reasonable legal system, if properly followed, we strongly believe that the executions of Kehar Singh and Satwant Singh were the result of an improper judicial process.
2) During the trial, substantial evidence was withheld by the government authorities (e.g. Mishra Commission’s report).
8) The trial was held in camera and key defense witnesses were not allowed to testify.
4) The persons who killed Beant Singh (the other alleged assassin) and attempted to kill Satwant Singh, several minutes after both had surrendered and had been disarmed, have not been questioned (or tried for the crime) in connection with the trial.
5) Even if he were guilty as charged, the death sentence of Kehar Singh was unjustified, as he was alleged to be a coconspirator and not a person who committed the crime. This view is supported by prominent legal experts.
6) The process to consider granting clemency was also flawed, because the President initially simply refused to review the case. Subsequently, when directed by the Supreme Court to review the case for possible clemency, he did so without access to relevant information, which was denied to him by the government.
7) Traditional and Constitutional rights were violated again when the bodies of the execuicd persons were not given to their families for last religious rites. The government’s refusal to even give the families the ashes (after secret cremation) was deplorable.
8) According to government’s own reports, more than 2700 innocent Sikh men, women and children were massacred in the capital city alone following the assassination of Mrs. Gandhi. In addition, there was widespread anti-Sikh violence in over 40 cities in northern India. No criminal action has been taken against those that committed and/or conspired the killings.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 13, 1989
