CHANDIGARH, India: Police again raided the Golden Temple complex on the night of Oct, 13 and searched Ram Das Sarai and Akal Rest House, According to police sources, the raid was made to apprehend top freedom fighter. Avtar Singh Kohara who was rescued from the police by his fellow freedom fighters after an exchange of fire in which one of the freedom fighters namely Harpal Singh was killed. The police suspected that they might have taken refuge in the temple complex. Sardar Avtar Singh Kohara who was rescued form the police carries a reward of $0,000 on his head. He was arrested sometime back by the police and was being Drought back from Ferozpur to Amritsar after interrogation. Police also raided a hotel near the temple complex and arrested five Sikh young men. Meanwhile a spokesman of the A.I.S.S.F. charged that police had arrested four ladies also besides ‘twenty five young men from Teja Singh Samundari Hall in the Golden Temple complex and were taken to some unknown place. He red that serious consequences would follow if the arrested persons were tortured. The Amritsar police claim to have recovered the car used in the rescue operation of Sardar Avtar Singh Kohara. The Police Chief, Mr. Izhar Alam disclosed that the car was found abandoned in a village near Tarn Taran. This car was stolen from near Gurdwara Shaheedan in Amritsar, Senior police officials visited the scene where Kohara’s fellow freedom fighters Harpal Singh alias Pappu was killed. Police Claim to have recovered from the scene two hand gernades, one rifle and a dozen empty shells. Harpal Singh’s body was not handed over to his relatives but was cremated under heavy police security by the police itself.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 24, 1986
