Sixty eight year old Medical Doctor Jagjit Singh Chohan, a leading political campaigner for Sikh national independence, boarded Thai Airways Flight TG9I15 on July 6, at Heathrow Airport en route to Bangkok. Dr. Chohan had obtained a visa for Thailand in London and had a return ticket. He had previously visited Thailand on a number of occasions. On the aircraft, following a meal, Dr. Chohan developed stomach and chest pains, a doctor on board examined him and advised further urgent investigation. She requested the airline staff to call Delhi Airport, where the plane was due to stop in transit, and have an ambulance on standby.
Upon landing, Dr. Chohan was escorted in a wheel chair and taken to the medical inspection room where he was briefly examined by medical staff and preparations were being made to send him to a hospital. The ambulance was already waiting outside. Dr. Chohan was informed that his papers had been sent to the Immigration Dept. for clearance. A Thai Airways manager arrived and said that the Inspector at the airport had said that Dr. Chohan had been refused permission to receive medical treatment at the hospital but refused to put this in writing. Dr. Chohan informed the Thai Airways station manager that under international law, it was his responsibility to ensure that he received proper medical care. He replied that there was nothing he could do as the authorities had refused permission.
Then, suddenly, a group of plainclothes men of official appearance entered the room and commenced abusing him verbally and he heard someone say “Give this bastard a lethal injection and treat nim for good.” They physically attacked him, knocking off his turban and pulling his long hair and beard and then punched him viciously whilst his legs were held. He heard a number of assailants threaten to eliminate him. This beating continued for 1015 minutes until he was wheeled back to the aircraft, The Thai manager, who was of Indian origin, was present but did not intervene.
Dr. Chohan protested vehemently to the airline crew who assured him that there was nothing they could do, but upon reaching Bangkok, they would immediately provide medical treatment for his condition and his injuries, as well as providing a written statement as to what had happened. In Bangkok, Dr. Chohan was not given any medical care, but instead was taken in a wheelchair by the police from the aircraft to a detention center within the airport, where he was held incommunicado for 18 hours in appalling conditions with about 30 other detainees. He was given no explanation. Finally, he was wheeled back and escorted onto an aircraft bound for London under police guard; Dr. Chohan in London was examined by Dr. Duncan Forrester at the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture. Dr.
Forrester identified 26 visible injuries and is compiling a report.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 10, 1996
