Taran Tarn, Punjab (KP) - Sarbjit Singh, the brother of Khalistan Commando Chief, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, was abducted and tortured by the Jhabal (Taran Tarn) Police on false charges last week.
While talking to reporters at his home, Sarbjit Singh, alleged that on January 9th, Police picked him up from his house initially on the pretext of taking him to the police station in connection with a passport inquiry, but upon arrival, the police immediately began to interrogate and torture him. The sixty-five year old Sarbjit Singh said he was tortured with electric shocks, heavy rollers and other inhumane methods.
According to Sarbjit Singh, the police wanted him to withdraw the cases filed in the Punjab High Court against them for the murder of his mother and brother. He stated that when he declined to retract those cases, the police began accusing him of printing counterfeit money, and receiving phone calls from his brother Paramjit Singh. He was then put through various methods of torture, including electric shocks, rolling heavy rollers on his legs, and being hung upside down, which resulted in the displacement of vertebrae. He also stated that the police also violated the sanctity of his Kesh (hair).
His son, Gurdev Singh, who was at home on military leave, also claimed that the police have been intimidating his father so he would retract the case filed in Punjab High court for murder of his mother and brother. The witness proceeding phase of the case is to begin on January 27th. The Khalsa Mission Committee chairman, Harmandip Singh charged this is all being done to intimidate witnesses who might testify against the police and to force Sarbjit Singh to withdraw his case.
Such heavy handed tactics of the police are not uncommon in Punjab. Amnesty International and other human rights groups have reported extensively on the gross human rights violations being committed by the police and armed forces in Punjab.
