NEW DELHI: Eminent Indian human rights activist V.M. Tarkunde will appear before Indian Supreme Court on March 23 in connection with a writ of hhabe as corpus for the production of Harpal Singh a U.S. based Sikh detained by Indian Intelligence on his arrival at Bombay airport on February 8. “The writ petition has been moved jointly by Tejinder Singh Ahuja, general secretary of Citizens for Democracy and Harjinder Singh Cheema, father of Harpal Singh requesting the court not only to cause production of the detunes but also prosecution of Indian indigence men form issue of authority. Ahuja is a. well known human rights activist associated with CED founded by Jayaprakash Narain for the protection of democratic rights of Indians. Harpal Singh was detained by the Bombay police on his arrival from San Francisco by Lufthansa airlines, according to an affidavit sworn in by Harpal Singh’s father who met the director-general of police, Maharashira, Ram Mus to know about the whereabouts of the son, Murthy told the father that the intelligence bureau men had taken away Harpal Singh to Delhi. Harjinder Singh Cheema went from pillar to post in Delhi to know about his son but to no avail He then requested the C.F.D. at well as P.H.R.O. for help. The CD agreed to file the petition while the P.H.R.O. sentinels grams to all concerned authorities to censure safety for the detunes and information about his. Where about the case was filed-on record by Ranjan Dwivedi. Neither Dwivedi nor Justice Tarkunde charged any fee for the professional help rendered by the
According to the writ petition, Harpal Singh was arrested by the Bombay police along with Paramjit Singh but the latter was set free after a day or two but Harpal Singh was transferred 10 the custody of India’s intelligence bureau.
Harpal Singh lived for more than five years in the U.S.A. on a work permit and had been working with a transport company. He is a law graduate from Punjab and was a registered advocate. One of his brothers lived in the U.S.A. The father came to know of the arrival in India of Harpal Singh from his other son in the U.S.A. He became aware of his arrival in Bombay after seven days of his detention by the Bombay police.
Significantly, Justice Tarkunde is appearing for a Sikh after a long time, He earlier had reservation about the policies and ways of Sikh activists but evidently the noted human rights activist now finds a change in the situation with Sikh masses supporting Sikh activists and their mission.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 27, 1992
