LUDHIANA: News has just reached us from P.H.R.O. headquarters in India that in the wake of the recent attack on Director General Punjab Police Mr. D S Mangat some 200 young Sikhs have been picked up by the police in Ludhiana alone Tow of these youths Sardars Atamjit Singh and Mohan Singh were picked up together from Bhai Bala Chowk Ludhiana on 5th February 1991. Eye-witnesses say that an unmarked van bearing Registration No. DL 3C 3066 was used for the purpose. The officers involved in the unlawful arrests were identified as DSP Shiv Kumar and Inspector Mohan Singh. Since then the two youths have been held incommunicado by the CIA Staff Ludhiana and all attempts to establish contact have proved abortive.
Atamjit who is 19 years of age and is a first year BSc student at Arya College Ludhiana is the son of Dr Gurbachan Singh Mavi Vice-President of P.H.R.O. and Lecturer at the Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana Mohan who is 22 is Atamjit’s friend and appears to have been arrested for no other reason than that he was with Atamjit at the Time.
These arrests demonstrate Punjab police’s high-handedness with Sikh youth. Neither Atamjit nor Mohan has any connection whatever with the attack on Mangat. P.H.R.O. have made representations and agitated against the illegal arrests of the other 200 Sikh youth none of whom has been charged or brought before the courts. It is feared that Atamjit and Mohan’s arrests are part of an organized campaign by Punjab police to silence P.H.R.O.’s protests against police excesses and police brutality It is no coincidence that the police raided the residence of Sardar Mohinder Singh Grewal Advocate and Secretary for Investigations of P.H.R.O. Nothing of an incriminatory nature was found and Mr. Grewal was not arrested. It is felt that the raid was made solely because of Sardar Grewal’s relationship with Sukhminder Singh Sandhu alias Sukhi presently awaiting extradition in New York jail for the alleged murder of General Vaida India’s retired Chief of army Staff. Sukhi is Sardar Grewal’s first cousin.
Punjab police’s high-handedness against P.H.R.O. and its senior officials bears testimony to the police’s utter disregard for Sikh human rights and its contempt for the Rule of Law in the State. Unless the offending officers are immediately taken to task alienation between the police and the civil rights agencies is likely to deepen. The UK unit of the P.H.R.O. unreservedly condemns the police action and demands the immediate release of the illegally arrested youth. We also appeal to the International Human Rights agencies to take up these cases with the Indian authorities. Amnesty International has been contacted and is looking into the matter.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 15, 1991
