File photos of Jaspal Singh who was killed by Punjab police at Gurdaspur on March 29, 2012
Gurdaspur, Punjab (March 30, 2012): On March 30, 2012, a day after the killing of a Sikh youth, Jaspal Singh in police firing; the Gurdaspur city continued to remain tense on Friday and also under curfew. The curfew however was relaxed for two hours from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm for the convenience of the residents.
As per certain media reports the administration suspended Naib Tehsildar J. P. Salwan who was the duty magistrate when the firing took place on Thursday. As per eye witnesses and video records available on YouTube the police fired and chased the Sikh youth, who were protesting against provocative activities of Shiv sena activists.
As per reports Shiv Sena activists, in Gurdaspur, attacked and injured four Sikhs during March 28, 2012 Punjab bandh called by Sikh to protest against hanging of Sikh political prisoner Balwant Singh Rajoana, and case was registered against Shiv Sena activists. Though no arrest was made by police, the Shiv sena was demanding quashing of FIR and called for Gurdaspur bandh on March 29. Sikhs were demanding arrest of Shiv sena activists who attacked Sikhs on March 28. This situation led to intervention of Police which brutally attacked on Sikhs. Police direct firing resulted in death of one Sikh body, while other was seriously injured.
Deceased Jaspal Singh was a student of Beant Engg. College, Gurdaspur.
As per reports, in a complaint to the police, Gurcharanjit Singh father of the deceased has alleged that assistant sub-inspector Joginder Singh had allegedly shot dead his son. But the police has registered a case under section 302 Indian penal code (IPC) “against unknown persons” after death of Sikh boy. No arrest has been made yet.
An indefinite curfew was clamped in the district head-quarter town after the firing.
Though the Government has ordered a magisterial inquiry to be conducted by Gurdaspur SDM Tejinderpal Singh Sandhu into the incident of firing by the police and the SDM has been asked to submit his report within a month, but the previous records of inquiring in similar cases show that such enquiries seldom end in some logical conclusions.
Sikh Siyasat team was not able to visit Gurdaspur today due to restrictions imposed by curfew.