By Rajinder S. Taggar
CHANDIGARH: The Ropar police have completed investigations into charges of sedition under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (prevention) Act, against the alleged chief of Akal Federation, Kanwar Singh Dhami and his wife Kulbir Kaur.
‘The investigation report cites 19 witnesses of whom four are civilians and other are policeman. According to the police secret information was received on March 29 that Dhami, his wife and a minor son, had returned from Pakistan to engineer attacks on important political personalities who were likely to attend the Hola Mohala celebrations at Anandpur Sahib, in Ropar district. Following the information the Khalistani protagonist was arrested.
It may be recalled that Dhami had turned a volt face when the Punjab police presented him before the media persons here on March 29, as one who had willingly surrendered. In the presence of the DGP K.P.S. Gill he had refuted the surrender and went on to disclose that he had been arrested many months ago. He was being forced to surrender, which he had not done, so that the police could gain publicity, he had said.
Mohan Singh, the sarpanch of Salora village, in his statement to the police said that as he was coming out of Gurdwara Anand Garh Sikh person, his wife and son. They were addressing a gathering of 30 to 40 devotees, propagating sedition and use of the gun to oust Hindus from Punjab. They also told the gathering that their son, Kanwar Ranbir Singh, was born in Pakistan, on seeing the police approaching the crowd dispersed, the sarpanch said.
Similar statements have been recorded by Waryam Singh, a resident of Akuwala village, Sher Singh of Roorki village and Swaran Singh of Pathlawa village.
Most “revealing” statement was however made by Ajit Singh Phula, who heads a section of the “Nihang Singhs.” According to him, Dhami came to his “Dera” along with his family and said that he had been in constant touch with the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan for purposes of creating Khalistan. Dhami is said to have admitted before Phula that he had been involved in looting incidents and spreading the message of killing of Hindus. He came in contact with Jamail Singh Bhinderanwala, who was spearheading the Khalistan movement. But later differences cropped up between them and he setup his own organization named the Akal Federation. The DIG A.S. Atwal was also shot dead by his organization on his instructions; Dhami is reported to have admitted.
Dhami went to Pakistan with his sister-in-law Kulbir Kaur and later got married to her in Gurdwara Dera Sahib. While in Pakistan many other secessionists came in contact with him namely Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Harjit Singh, Sukhdev Singh Babbar, Wadhawa Singh, Wassan Singh Jaffarwal and others.
Phula stated that Dhami met representatives of the former Prime Minister Chander Shekhar in 1991, who wanted to find a solution to the Punjab problem.
‘The police report is slated to be presented before the district sessions judge, Chandigarh, M. S. Lobana on January 13 for framing of charges. Dhami and his wife, who are at present lodged in Burail jail, will be presented before the court, according to court records.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 6, 1995
