NEW DELHI, India, July 25, Reuter: Five Sikh policemen were accused in a Punjab court today of harbouring Sikh freedom fighters as continuing violence in the North Indian State left six people dead. The five, including Head Constable Harwinder Singh, were charged with aiding and abetting Jaspal Singh and Ajit Singh, moving other freedom fighters to safer places and providing them with police uniforms, police in the State said.
The two were former members of the Punjab Armed Police Force who were sacked last July following an assassination attempt on Punjab Police Chief Julio Ribeiro.
The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency also reported that six people two Sikh freedom fighters and four Hindus was killed in separate incidents in Punjab today.
The deaths brought the toll from violence in the State, where Sikhs have been pressing for a separate homeland, to 195 this month,
A doctor and a relative were killed by gunmen, a woman was hacked to death and a man died from stab wounds while two Sikh freedom fighters were killed in what police reports as “encounters” with police, PTI said.
It said police also arrested five other Sikh freedom fighters and reportedly recovered some arms and ammunitions which according to local sources is often planted by the police itself.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 31, 1987
