Following the Punjab Police’s recent request to Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) seeking relief for cops booked during the militancy period, family members of the victims of ‘fake encounters’ protested against the state government, in Amritsar on Wednesday.
Over 30 families under the banner of Khalra Mission Organisation demanded speedy justice in ‘fake encounter’ cases that took place during the time of militancy.They also sent a letter to Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh demanding not to interfere into the affair as the cases are being heard in the court of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Mohali.
During a meeting with the Union home department and the solicitor general recently, Punjab director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora had reportedly pleaded for a sympathetic view, stressing that the policemen were charged for acts committed on duty.
“On October 31, 1992, a police team had arrested my husband Sukhdev Singh, who was a vice-principal at Government Senior Secondary School in Lopoke and my father-in-law Sulakhan Singh, 80, a freedom fighter,” recalled Sukhwant Kaur, 76, a retired block primary education officer.
“Despite being innocent, they were held in an illegal detention at Sarhali police station, Tarn Taran, for two days, following which the police killed them and threw their bodies into Sutlej river in Harike. I could not even cremate them. I have been fighting the case for last 26 years and now the Punjab government officers are seeking relief for the criminals. They should instead kill me too,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}“Despite being innocent, they were held in an illegal detention at Sarhali police station, Tarn Taran, for two days, following which the police killed them and threw their bodies into Sutlej river in Harike. I could not even cremate them. I have been fighting the case for last 26 years and now the Punjab government officers are seeking relief for the criminals. They should instead kill me too,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Tarn Taran’s Parveen Kumar, 40, said, “My elder brother Gulshan Kumar and his friends Karnail Singh, Jarnail Singh and Harjinder Singh were killed in a fake encounter. I want justice.The next hearing of my case is September 15.”
Balwinder Kaur ,65, of Deu village, Tarn Taran who lost her son Balbir Singh during the time of militancy said, “Punjab government should not interfere as the matter is subjudice”.
‘Guilty should be hanged’
Satwant Singh Manak, who worked as a constable in Moga police during the militancy period said, “In my presence, police conducted around 15 fake encounters, after which I approached the families of the victims and filled a case in Punjab and Haryana high court against the erring cops.”
“The cops who conducted such brutal encounters should not be given any relief instead they should be hanged. The CBI had booked 188 Punjab Police officials, out of which few are dead, others above 75-years of age and rest lodged in jails,” he said.
Tarsikka resident Ranjit Kaur, 70, whose 19-year-old son Partap Singh was killed in one of the ‘fake encounters’ said, “Police killed thousands of youth of Punjab and burnt their bodies, saying they were unclaimed. It was a brutal mass killing and the accused should not be spared at any cost.”The kin also threatened to intensify their stir if the state government doesn’t stop their ‘interference’.