Chandigarh/ Punjab (July 08, 2013): In its renewed attempt to revitalize respect for human rights in Punjab, the Dal Khalsa has appealed to Chief Minister and state Home Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal to wake up to the call of justice, human rights and harmony.
Taking a cue from the confession made by suspended Sub-Inspector (SI) Surjit Singh that he killed scores of Sikh youth through extra-judicial methods during militancy period, the party head H S Dhami has urged the Badals to constitute a Special Commission under the leadership of sitting High Court Judge comprising district session judge, eminent human rights lawyer, renowned civil rights activist and morally upright individual from police force, to investigate the role of the state police since 1984 to 1995. He further suggested that SI Surjit Singh should be put on trial for his candid admission in killing scores of Sikh youth extra-judicially.
Notwithstanding the dismissal of his petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he pointed out that Surjit Singh’s confession was a grim reminder of the question of fake encounters and the impunity enjoyed by top police brass. Urging Badals to take up concrete steps, in order to restore people’s faith in democracy and rule of law, he said there should be a full-scale impartial public enquiry. “There are far too many skeletons in the cupboards of the high and mighty in the Punjab police”, he added.
He rued that Badals inefficiency and inability to probe extra-constitutional role and methods of certain police officers during militancy period, has disappointed the Sikhs at large.
He said many police officers have proudly claimed that they have been working outside the ambit of law through Cats –vigilante personnel owing allegiance to officers and not to the Constitution. “Surjit Singh was amongst those cats that killed Sikh youths extra-judicially only to get out-of-way promotion and monetary benefits”.