Chandigarh, July 28 – The Punjab Human Rights Organization has collected information to allege that more than 50 Sikh youths have been killed in fake encounters by the security forces in Faridkot district alone since the imposition of Control rule in Punjab.

Mr. Justice A.S. Bains, Chairman of PHRO, in a report released here stated that the aim of the Centre and its collaborators is to annihilate youths-and bring the Sikh community to submission so that its struggle for rights under the existing Constitution and for autonomy are put down with brutal force.

The report, Justice Bains said, is based on a series of detailed versions collected by a five member team of the PHRO which visited the places where such fake encounters are purported to have taken place.

At least a dozen youths have been identified by the public. They were taken in custody by the security forces in full view of the public, taken away in handcuffs and eliminated at the instance of the men at the top.

At least another dozen youths were killed by the security forces but no such announcement was made either locally or at the State headquarters. Most of these youths were brought from outside Faridkot district and killed in the district. Twenty six “unidentified” youths are shown to have been killed by the security forces in encounters and announcements of these encounters were officially made. All of them are suspected to be known to the police and were in their custody after they were rounded up from different places.

Three youths – Gurdey Singh Sattanwala, Gurmail Singh Preetnagar Moga and Nirmal Singh along with two others – were arrested at Ajitwala together with a truckload of arms but were killed near Kapure on June 13. In this case no announcement of the whereabouts of the two youths was made but it is suspected that they too have been eliminated.

One Babu Singh of Kaleke was picked up from the Moga Bus Stand on June 30. After interrogation and torture Babu Singh was killed near Moga Octroi Post No. 3 and his dead body was cremated as “unidentified”.

Others killed by the security forces include Jaswant Singh Santu of Killi Chahal, Sukhdev Singh Deba of Muktsar, Bhupinder Singh of Mithu Khera, Amrik Singh Duneke, Manjit Singh Mini Baba of Moga, Bhag Singh of Santuwal, Sukhwinder Singh of Lohama and Kuldip Singh Raonke of Kaleko.

The enquiry committee could not know the fate of Harbhajan Singh Kosas of Marrax Marari, Baldev Singh Manakpur, Bhupinder Singh Jarewal and Balbir Singh Rauli who were picked up by the Moga police in May.

The PHRO has requested the Amnesty International to pay attention to the blatant violation of human rights and the rules of law by the Central authorities in Punjab through their hired men.