New Delhi, India (February 13, 2012): All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF-PeerMohammad) announced to file a PIL before Delhi High Court challenging the commutation of Kishori Lal’s sentence who has been convicted of murdering several Sikhs during November 1984. Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Tejendra Khanna of Delhi has commuted the life sentence of Kishori Lal on the recommendation of the states Sentence Review Board (SRB). Kishori Lal, a butcher from Trilokpuri area of East Delhi was sentenced to death seven times by the trial court for murdering several Sikhs during November 1984 massacre.
PIL will be based on the ground that commutation and release of such a hardened criminal Kishori Lal who murdered several Sikhs including three brothers Darshan Singh, Amar Singh and Nirmal Singh, all residents of Trilokpuri by cutting them into pieces with his hatchet, will pose a grave threat to the safety of the witnesses who testified against Kishori Lal. Addressing the press conference, Karnail Singh Peermohammad, President AISSF (PeerMohammad) stated that commuting the sentence of Kishori Lal who murdered several sikhs in cold blood is another injustice to the victims of November 1984 Sikh massacre. Kishori Lal’s sentence is commuted at time when victims of November 1984 are fighting against the Clean Chit given to Jagdish Tytler and are trying to get Sajjan Kumar convicted. Referring to the denial of Professor Bhullar’s commutation of death sentence, Peermohammad stated that killers of Sikhs are granted commutation and while innocent Sikhs are denied justice and this undermines the victims’ faith in the justice system of the country.
In a statement issued from California, USA, Mohinder Singh who saw his father Darshan Singh a resident of 32/7 Trilokpuri in November 1984. being cut into pieces by Kishori Lal, stated that “commutation of Kishori Lal’s sentence is bitter injustice and it has brought back the tormenting memory of how his father was butchered by Kishori Lal in front of his eyes, I still see the stream of blood of my father flowing into front of me every night when I sleep” We are fighting to get justice for the last 27 years and with this decision, we lost all faith that victims of November 1984 will ever get justice in India, added Mohinder Singh. Mohinder Singh is one of the plaintiffs against Congress (I) and Union Minister Kamal Nath in the November 1984 Sikh Genocide case filed by “Sikhs For Justice” a human right advocacy group, which is pending before the US Federal Court.
AISSF (PeerMohammad) will also hold a “Justice Rally” on February 16th in Delhi in association with “National 1984 Victims Justice and Welfare Society” to protest against the commutation of Kishori Lal’s sentence and will expose the discriminatory treatment meted out to Sikhs. Karnail Singh Peermohammad appealed to all Sikh organizations to come forward and join the “Justice Rally” to raise voice for the justice to the victims of November 1984 Sikh Genocide.