Chandigarh: Under fire from various quarters for allegedly torturing Jagtar Singh Johal aka Jaggi during police custody, the Punjab police on Sunday (Nov. 19) issued a written statement refuting allegations of torture. Interestingly the statement opened with reference to Canadian Sikh politician Jagmeet Singh, who had echoes concerns over the reports of torture on Jagtar Singh Johal.
Jagtar Singh Jaggi’s lawyer Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur has rejected response of Punjab police and insisted that Jaggi was tortured in custody by Punjab police for 3 days– on Nov. 5, 6 and 7.
The full text of statement issued by Punjab police is being reproduced in verbatim for the information of readers of the Sikh Siyasat News (SSN):
PUNJAB POLICE TRASHES JAGGI’s TORTURE CHARGES, SAYS DUE PROCESS OF LAW FOLLOWED AT EVERY STAGE
JAGGI ALLOWED TO MEET FAMILY, COUNSEL, UK HIGH COMMISSION TEAM; MEDICAL TESTS ALSO CONDUCTED
Chandigarh, November 19
Categorically rejecting Canada’s NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s allegations of torture of British national Jagtar Singh Johal, arrested in the targeted killings cases, the Punjab police has said that due process of law was followed at every stage, with the accused allowed access to his counsel and family members, as also a team from the UK High Commission.
Not only did it have sufficient evidence to prove the complicity of Jagtar alias Jaggi in the cases of targeted killings, the police had also ensured that there was no violation of his rights at any stage, a police spokesperson said here on Sunday, trashing allegations of a frame-up and torture.
Besides being allowed to talk to his family members after his arrest, Jaggi was produced before a Judicial Magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest as laid down under the Criminal Procedure Code. The British High Commission was duly informed about the arrest of Jaggi, whose medical examination was also conducted as required under the procedure, said the spokesperson.
The British Deputy High Commissioner in Chandigarh was in touch with DGP Punjab on the issue, said the spokesperson, adding that the envoy did not question the arrest of Jaggi, who has been found by the police to be a staunch supporter of terrorist activities in Punjab.
The spokesperson added the there was a huge pile of evidence against Jaggi, who had been produced before the court several times and taken on police remand as per the court’s orders, before he was sent on judicial remand to Faridkot Jail on November 17.
Jaggi’s medical examination has also been conducted regularly since his arrest from Dakoha Fatak Jalandhar on November 4, 2017, said the spokesperson, adding that his family members and relatives were allowed to meet him.
Further, on November 15, Jagpreet Singh Chaddha, a lawyer, met Jagtar Singh Jaggi between 8.00.to 9.00 PM and the next day, a team of UK High Commission New Delhi, comprising Margaret Partridge and Amit Kotecha, consular officers, met Jagtar Singh @ Jaggi.
Giving details of Jaggi’s involvement in conspiracy, coordination, funding and arranging of weapons for members of the KLF module busted in connected with the targeted killings, the spokesperson said the accused came in contact with Gursharanbir Singh, also a British national based in Coventry, UK, who was involved in the killing of Rulda Singh, President of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, Punjab, in July 2009.
Further, said the spokesperson, Jagtar Singh Jaggi came in contact with Harmeet Singh @ Ph.D, a Pak based KLF terrorist,and Taljeet Singh @ Jimmy original r/o Jammu and now r/o 334, Merry Hill road, Glasgow, Scotland (since arrested on Oct 30, 2017 being a KLF module member) for funding and sourcing of weapons. Jimmy went to UK on study visa in 2012 but had overstayed illegally in Glasgow after the expiry of the visa in 2014.
In March 2016, Harmeet Singh Ph.D asked Jaggi to arrange local made pistols for his module members in Punjab.
In April 2016, Jaggi further asked Taljeet Singh Jimmy to supply pistols with the help of his acquaintances in Jammu. Jaggi paid 3000 pounds to Jimmy in Glasgow in November 2016 for weapons, which Jimmy arranged to have dumped near a milestone, on way to Zaffarwal (Gurdaspur).
Jimmy then sent pictures of the place to Jaggi through Whatsapp and the latter informed Pak based Harmeet Singh Ph.D, who got the pistols retreved. One of the pistols was recovered by Punjab police from Mudki while Harmeet Ph.D, with connivance of Jagtar Jaggi and Canada based militant leaders Gurpreet Singh r/o Vancouver Canada and Gurjeet Cheema r/o Brampton, Toronto, had supplied the second pistol to other module members viz. Gurpreet Singh Peet (Faridkot) and Simaranjit Singh @ Nikka (Moga) in May/June 2017.
According to the spokesperson, there was sufficient evidence to show that Jaggi had conspired with Gursharanbir Singh of UK and Pak based Harmeet Ph.D for carrying out the targeted killings of Hindu leaders and others in 2016/17. Jaggi had remained in touch with Gursharanbir Singh and Ph.D and was privy to the selection of targets, raising module members and provisioning of weapons with the help of gangster Dharminder Singh @ Gugni. It is pertinent to mention here that Gugni had supplied the weapons to module members with the help of his known local weapon suppliers based in UP and Bihar.
It had further come to light during investigations that Jaggi, along with his family members, went to Surrey, Canada, in August 2016 and met with militant elements such as Satinderpal Singh Gill, Maninder Singh Bual & Parupkar Singh @ Parry in Surrey, BC. Gursharanbir Singh from UK also came to Surrey and Jaggi met him to discuss ways of reviving militancy in Punjab, said the spokesperson.
WATCH RELATED VIDEO: