DELHI: Devinderpal Singh, of Bathinda district in Punjab, was deported from Germany to India and was arrested at Delhi airport on his arrival on Jan. 19 at 2 pm. He is reportedly in police custody on a remand by the court. The police had alleged him to be a top “militant.” He had left India for Germany to save his life. The deportation has landed him into the police’s net. His brother Tejinderpal Singh from USA fears his elimination at the hands of Indian police in one way or the other as Devinderpal’s father has already been done to death in custody. He was picked by the police in 1992.”

This is part of the text of a letter that the IHRO has sent to both India’s National Human Rights Commission and to the German Embassy regarding the arrest and subsequent disappearance of Devinder Pal Singh.

Press reports from the government controlled media in India however make the claim that Devinder Pal Singh is none other than a notorious leader of the ‘Khalistan Liberation Force alias “Deepak’ who was involved in the alleged assassination attempt on youth Congress leader, Maninder Singh Beuta, in Sept. 1993 and also the 1991 attempt on S.S. Saini the then Senior Superintendent of Police of Chandigarh.

According to police claims Devinderpal Singh was involved in, or master-minded some of the most sensational militant raids of the last five years.

But is this the truth? Since the story of his arrest has been published the facts surrounding his capture show the Indian press reports to be false.

German authorities stated they took Devinderpal Singh into custody because of irregularities in his passport and deported him back to India – no mention was made of his supposed militant activities or that the Delhi police or Indian Intelligence had any. thing to do with his actual arrest or capture other than being there to meet the plane from Frankfurt-police boasting notwithstanding. We hope that his fate can be decided in a court of law and that adequate safeguards will be put in place. But his family and friends fear that like so many other young Sikhs who come under the thumb of the government his life will remain in danger.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 27, 1995