Harjit Singh was picked up by the police on April; 29, 1992 near Baba Bakala and a few days later, the police alleged that he had been killed in a police encounter, His father Kashmir Singh refused to believe the police story and continued the search for his son. Finally, along with two witnesses and a Warrant Officer from the Punjab & Haryana High Court Harjit was found at Mal Mandi Interrogation Center, The police quickly whisked him away and have continued to deny that he was in their custody, although he has been further sighted on a number of occasions by his father and by friends of the family.

Kashmir Singh has continued to mobilize the Punjab & Haryana High Court in his search for his son. A Sessions Judge Judicial Enquiry has been in progress for more than a year now. The police have continued to obstruct the due Process of law, hence delaying Justice.

Kashmir Singh has also mobilized international public opinion and platforms to help him secure the release of his son. Parliamentarians and human rights organizations throughout the world have taken up the case of Harjit Singh and are urging the Indian authorities for his release or to present him in a Court of Law if he has committed any crime. During the British Prime Minister’s visit to Delhi and on the occasion of Indian Prime Minister N.S.Rao’s visit to London recently, the British Prime Minister raised his con- com for human rights abuses in India and raised specifically the case of Harjit Singh.

Kashmir Singh has been invited by Amnesty International to take part in their worldwide campaign On “Disappearances” and Political Killings. Last night Kashmir Singh launched the campaign at Amnesty’s Annual General Meeting at Lough Borough University, Leicestershire, UK, attended by more than 600 delegates from throughout the world. At the ceremony, Kashmir Singh as a symbol of the families of the “disappeared” of the world, released kite to which was attached hundreds of postcards with the names of the people who have “disappeared” throughout the world, and appeals to their various governments for their release and free- dom.

On April 11, Kashmir Singh de- parts on his European tour organized by Amnesty, to meet and address members of the media, Parliamentarians and Amnesty groups.

Iqbal Singh

Reading, UK

Article extracted from this publication >> April 22, 1994