The shocking story of a Sikh youth who was tortured and harassed by India’s Security Forces and who finally joined the Khalistan Commando Force.—A Punjab Human Rights Organisation report.
The story of Raghbir Singh
The young Sikh activist, Raghbir Singh, recounted in his own hand in Punjabi the story as below:
“I, Raghbir Singh son of Jathedar Piara Singh, am a resident of village Lakhan Khurd, Police Station Sadar in district Kapurthala. I ‘was good at studies and secured 71% marks in Matriculation and 74% in Higher Secondary Examinations, After that I got admission in Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia College in B:A. Part-I.
” All members of my family are baptised Sikhs, That is why I have been taking interest in the Sikh faith. I too took ‘Amrit’ and started maintaining all Sikh symbols and performed rituals. I joined the All India Sikh Students Federation in September, 1986. While we were busy in Organising a Kirtan Darbar on behalf of the AISSF at Lakhan. Kalan village, the police rounded up the federation activists including myself and Surjit Singh Sandhu. We were kept in Sadar Police station for six days illegally. Likewise the police continued harassing me and members of my family.
Arrested 20 times in one year
“In 1987 my father’s sister’s son Harvinder Singh alias Toapi left his home due to the unending police terror. The Kapurthala police now started picking me up on the pretext that Harvinder Singh had been visiting our home. They “arrested” me about 20 times during 1987. Every time my parents had to pay ransom’ money to the police to get me out of their illegal custody.
”To save myself from the Kapurthala police, I joined a college at Jalandhar in B.A. (final) so as to lead a smooth and peaceful life. But harassment, humiliation and torture of my parents and brothers continued at the hands of the Kapurthala police.
The Kapurthala sadar police partly led by inspector Dilbagh Singh Pannu and ASI Jagtar Singh raided our village house on June 10,1988. Nothing incriminating was found but they apprehended my elder brothers, Gurbachan Singh and Anup Singh. (not the other Anup Singh mentioned at it he beginning of this report: PHRO), They asked them to produce me before the police, Sarpanch Gurmit Singh, Nambardar Kapur Singh and my father along with other village elders persuaded me to surrender to the police on June 14,1988, on assurance by the police that I would be left off after interrogation.
How Raghbir Singh was tortured?
“I was immediately shifted to a room where I was asked to put off all my clothes and religious symbols. My underware (Kachhaira) was forcibly removed to make me completely naked. DSP Kehar Singh, Inspector Dilbag Singh, ASI Jagtar Singh and constables, Karamjit Singh and Avtar Singh started beating me up with canes, Iron rods and leather belts. My hands were fastened with ropes and I was made to hang from the ceiling of the room upside down. All body joints and feet were given strokes with heavy sticks. The police officials wanted me to help them in nabbing the underground activists of the AISSF and armed groups. I knew nothing about them and could not escape myself from the police clutches. I lost consciousness and was brought down. I was subjected to inhuman treatment for about two hours and not allowed to sleep at night. Similar treatment was given the next day.
”On June 16, 1988, I was blindfolded, my hands were fastened behind my back and was shifted to the C.LA. staff where D.S.P;S.S. Bajwa, ASI Gurbachan Singh along with four constables made me sit on the floor, Head constable Karamjit Singh while supporting my back with his knees pulled my long hair backwards and ASI Gurbachan Singh along with others stretched my legs apart resulting in swooning. When consciousness returned they gave electric shocks on the chest and other private organs of my body from a Dynamo Bettery apparatus causing severe pain. After treating me like an animal, they threw me in another room. I was not able even to put ‘on my clothes. At night I was fed by an old man (detainee) as my hands were numb.
Even sexual abuses
“At 10 A.M. the next day, SSP Swaran Singh and his bodyguards placed an extra thick pestle on the front side of my thighs, the two of the bodyguards stood on the pestle. and others rotated it. My muscles were broken. This time I was made to lie on the floor prostrate and pestle exercise was repeated by pressing my lower legs against a wooden roller. They kept on torturing me and asked me questions for an hour. They passed on electric current through my ears due to which I lost hearing power.
“Then I was shifted to the Sadar police station, where I was repeatedly tortured in the presence of others just to humiliate me. The police also indulged in sexual abuses. There were 15/20 illegal detainees in the Sardar police station while 20/25 in the CIA staff who were rotting there for the last two or three months.
“On June 18, 1988, at about 6 P.M. I was blindfolded and was taken to an unknown place by ASI Gurbachan Singh and his force. In the meantime I was informed that my end had come and that I should prepare myself for the eventuality. After about 1 % hours’ drive I was helped to get down the Jeep. I was asked to say me last prayers. If I wanted to live, I was asked, I should sit in a van with tainted glasses to identify and have arrested other members of the A.LS.S.F. and the Babbar Khalsa. When they failed to elicit any positive response from me, I was taken to the room of a huge building which, I learnt later, was the camp office of the Central Reserve Police Force.
Two novel way of the CRI
“There I was confined for five days. Needless to repeat that I was subjected again to the same kind of grueling experience as I had recently undergone in the custody of the police. However, my CRPF tormentors had two new methods employed on me. One, red chilies were thrown into my eyes and two, I was made to lie straight on the ground with my face towards the roof. Then water in a thin constant stream was put into my nose so that I gasped for breath and became unconscious. This process was repeated all the five days.
”On June 22,1988, DSP Kehar Singh and his force comprising Inspector Dilbagh Singh, ASI Jagtar Singh, Havildars Karamjit Singh and Avtar Singh and a few others took me to Sadar police station, Kapurthala, where I was unrobed and was severely beaten up with leather belts. This caused blood to ooze out of my body. Later a 200 Watt bulb was pressed against my body. I was also given electric currents. On June 23-24 I was taken in a car with tainted glasses by Inspector Dilbagh Singh, Havildars Karamjit Singh, Avtar Singh and Lal Singh. I was asked to identify and have arrested any suspect and was. Promised release in the unilaterally settled bargain. Since I could not identify anyone I was taken back to the police station. I was again beaten and tortured. This way I was taken out for two days, with no results.
Attempt to turn him into “cat” fails
“On June 25 at about 9 A.M. 1 was taken to the C.LA staff office where SSP Swaran Singh, S.P. (Operations) Santokh Singh, Inspector Gurbachan Singh, A.S.Is Pargat Singh and Gurbachan Singh ‘Buchar’ (the tyrant) as well as a few constables were present. There I was subjected to torture again.
“In the next few days I was taken to Kala Sangha and Bholath police stations. As a result of the torture I was really miserable. I could not stand up on my own. I could not eat as my hands were totally paralysed. I was helped by the police officials to eat my food. I could not change clothes or ease myself. My left ear lost hearing power.
The Court finds no evidence
“When the police totally failed to get anything out of me, they registered a case on July 6,1988, under sections 212/216 of LP.C. and sections % of T.A.D.A. at Sadar police station, Kapurthala, for harboring and aiding Babbar Khalsa activists Wadhawa Singh (a member of the Panthic Committee), Tarsem Singh, Makhan ‘Singh and Balbir Singh. The Designate Judge, Kapurthala, Gurjit Singh Sandhu, on February 27, 1989, found me falsely implicated because I was earlier a member of the AISSF and acquitted me of all the charges,
“After my release, I went to Madhya Pradesh, two thousand kilometers away from Punjab, to stay with one of my relations. There I joined a computer course. I received reports from back home of harassment of my father and other members of my family. It was clear to me that the police was still after me. I had no option except to go underground”.
The quest for honorable life ends
Thus ended Raghbir Singh Bria’s quest for honorable, peaceful life away from Punjab. He returned to Punjab to actively join the militant ranks. He is now a member of the Khalistan Commando Force headed by Paramjit Singh Panjwar. Although he renounced his relations with the family, the police arrested other members of Raghbir Singh’s family, tortured them and kept them in illegal custody. The process is on as we make this report to the world. Meanwhile, Jathedar Piara Singh and Baba Anup Singh, mentioned earlier in the report, remain “untraced.”
Ludhiana,
October 22, 1990
- Gill, Advocate General Secretary, PH.R.O.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 30, 1990
