The slain persons were identified as Balbir Singh Pargat Singh Mehar Singh Swaran Singh Charan Singh and his 15-yr-old son Bobby. The people became tense around morning when the strength of the villagers swelled into thousands and they threatened that they would not allow the police to lift the bodies. They were insisting on a judicial enquiry into the incident to bring the guilty to book.
The demonstrators relented after the Deputy Commissioner assured that a case would be registered at the police Station.
Significantly the Armymen were on an active duty contrary to the government’s assertion that the troops were only deployed along the border to check infiltration. The arrogance of the troops can be estimated from the fact that they shot dead even the ox pulling the cart after the incident.
Over 5000 residents of Jhika Ladhana village near Banga in Jalandhar district on April 8 ended their 24 hour gherao of Banga police Station following registration of a murder case against the policemen who had shot dead one Piara Singh a taxi driver near Moranwali village on the right of April 6. According to the PHRO information Piara Singh’s car was stopped by the police party comprising ASI Santokh Singh head constable Chaman Lal constable Manjit Lal SPO Balwinder Pal Home Guard jawans Balhar Singh Paramjit Singh Balwant Singh and Rajinder Kumar. He was dragged out of the vehicle and shot dead. The police version that police was conducting a search of the vehicle when another car coming from the opposite direction opened fire leading to the killing of Piara Singh and the occupants of that car were militants is totally false and fabricated to cover up their guilt. The victim was shot in the temple from a close range.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 13, 1991
