CHANDIGARH, India: The Punjab government is understood to be pressing the Indian government to release most of those arrested from the Golden Temple in Amritsar during the Operation Bluestar way back in June, 1984 and now detained in Jodhpur jail.

According to a report carried by the “Indian Express”, New Delhi, the Punjab government headed by Chief Minister Barnala, has sent a list of about 100 detainees to the Union government who had already taken up the issue with the Indian, army, the CBI is yet to put needs were charged with waging war against the Indian government and cases were registered against them by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Though they were arrested in June, 1984, following the storming of the Golden Temple by the Indian army the CBI is yet to put up their challahs in the court. Out of 372 detainees in the Jodhpur jail about 70 are stated to be “sewadars” of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and happened to be in the Golden Temple Complex during the Bluestar Operation.

Three women including the wife of Rachhpal Singh, Personal Assistant to Sant Jarnail Singh _ Bhindranwale are also detained in the Jodhpur jail.

Rachhpal Singh was killed in the Golden Temple during the army operation. A number of Sikh activists and members of Sikh Student Federation had escaped from the Golden Temple at the time of the operation.

Article extracted from this publication >>  March 27, 1987