Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, in an interview with a press reporter, the Punjab Police Chief, Mr. Ribeiro said the police was not killing innocent persons but those whom he described as “terrorists”.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: Sikh leader, however, maintain that innocent young Sikhs were being arrested from their homes and shot dead in fake encounters.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist. Don’t you think it is for the judicial courts to determine whether a person is innocent or guilty and not for any police chief to arrogate this authority to himself. Isn’t Ribeiro breaking law and committing murders under the cover of maintaining law and order?
Ambassador. Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist Mr. Ambassador, two Sikh youths were shot dead in Chandigarh by plain clothed men who fired at them from within a car.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: The Chandigarh police chased the car and nabbed the murderers when they sought shelter in Ribeiro’s house. But Ribeiro sent back the chasing policemen by telling them that the murderers were “his men”.
Ambassador. Very correct.
Journalist. What kind of regime is there in Punjab where Police Chief gets civilians killed through hired mercenaries?
Ambassador. Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist| Mr. Ambassador, it is alleged that some Balbir Singh has through a phone call, threatened to blow up a Canadian Embassy in case Mr. Inderjit Singh Riyat was extradited to Canada.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: Similar threats were allegedly received by the Magistrate in New Jersey who was dealing the extradition proceedings against Gill and Sandhu.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Don’t you think such threatening calls are made by the Indian agents in order to prejudice the courts against the Sikhs framed up in false cases?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 11, 1988
