Expressing no faith in Indian system, Jagtar Singh Tara refuses to defend himself in Beant Singh case

Chandigarh: Sikh political prisoner Bhai Jagtar Singh Tara has once again clarified that he did not want to defend himself in a trial in the Beant Singh execution case as he had no faith in the Indian judiciary. He said that the court could take a decision against him as he was not going to contest the case under Indian law.

It may be recalled that Jagtar Singh Tara along with Jagtar Singh Hawara, Paramjit Singh Bheora and another had escaped from Burail jail Chandigarh in 2004. He was arrested by Thailand police in 2015, after which he was deported to India.

Bhai Jagtar SIngh Tara [File Photo]

It is notable that during CM Beant Singh’s regime (1992-95) mass level atrocities were committed against the civilian Sikh population of Punjab in a systematic manner. This fact has been well-documented in the reports by various Human Rights organisations that during Beant Singh’s rule (1992-95) custodial torture, enforced disappearances, fake encounters, extra-judicial killings and secret cremations were a common policing practise [see: Death Silence Punjab (by Human Right Watch), Reduced to Ashes (by Ram Narayan Kumar & others); Simmering Embers (by Voices for Freedom); Protecting the Killers (by HRW and Ensaaf) etc.]. CM Beant Singh was executed by Bhai Dilawar Singh outside secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995 out of existential concerns of the Sikhs.

To read a letter (in Punjabi) written by Jagtar Singh Tara to Chandigarh court visit sikhsiyasat.info (click to read).