The fact that the culprits in this case were first “arrested” under pressure. from the public and subsequently released clandestinely shows that highups in the police are involved in these killings and they are directly encouraging the ‘Cats’ to commit such crimes to put the blame on the Sikh youths The PHRO recommended that the entire matter should be thoroughly investigated and persons responsible for extra-judicial killings and their mentors should be proceeded against howsoever high positions they may occupy.
Apart from State-sponsored secret death squads “Cats” and police in uniform indulging in unlawful activities individual gangs also operate to extort money from the people. A report from Patiala says that police after a chase arrested (May 11) Madan Gopal and Vinod Kumar (sons of Pandit Banwani Lal resident of Naleen Kalan) from near village Panjola. They were responsible for writing threatening letters to their targets. The Patiala police chief Satish Kumar Shanna publicly confirmed that a car bearing a false registration number in which they were fleeing had been recovered from them
Article extracted from this publication >> September 6, 1991
