New Delhi (KP) - With a rare decision in a country where the judicial system has always shown a bais and tilt against the Sikh community, the killers of Bhai Prabhjit Singh of Delhi were finally being brought to justice.
After a bold effort and legal follow-up by Panthic organizations, and the Sikh community since 2007, the Delhi Tees Hazaari District Court Session Judge Punam Chaudhree announced her verdict against the three killers and their accomplices.
The verdict declared that Sumeet Dutta, Sundeep Dutta, Manesh Dutta were found guilty for the cold blooded murder of Bhai Prabhjit Singh at a west Delhi Gurdwara in December of 2007 and sentences to life in prison. Additionally, the parents of Manesh, Babbli Dutta, and Naresh Dutta were declared accomplices in this the crime, and given life sentences. The elder Duttas have reportedly been in hiding since 2007. As they have never turned themselves in, they were declared as fugitive from the law.
Bhai Prabhjit Singh’s only fault was that on the night of December 22nd, around Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Parkash Purab, he had requested these three hooligans to not drink outside the front steps of the local west Delhi Gurdwara Sahib. The Duttas then rampaged through the Gurdwara Sahib, attacked and brutally beat Bhai Prabhjit Singh unconscious. He was taken to the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, where he succumbed to his injuries and died on December 3rd.
Gurdwara Sewadar Bhai Prabhjit Singh who died of injuries from this vicious attack
Diligent Effort by Panthic Organizations and Key Witnesses
Shahbaaz Khalsa and other members of the Sikh community had vowed to work diligently to bring the killers of this innocent Sikh to justice. Despite the fact that key witnesses and Sikhs sevadars were being threatened and intimidated by criminal elements connected to the Dutta family, the hard effort finally paid off with the Tees Hazari court verdict.
Bhai Mohinder Singh Khalsa, a neighbor, and Parminder Singh, the Granthi Singh at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Baljit Nagar, and his wife Inderjit Kaur who were manhandled and threatened by ruffians connected to the Duttas, bravely testified during the trail as key eye-witnesses of this heinous crime.
Same Dedication needed for Justice in 1984 Pogroms
While praising the guilty verdict, Panthic organizations, Shahbaaz Khalsa and GURSIKH stated that if similar determination to follow-up and support for key witnesses could have been shown for the 1984 November pogroms in the past, the Sikh community could have brought many of those killers to justice.
Interestingly, the same day, the Sauda Dera cultist, Gurmeet Ram Rahim was absolved of the murder charge in the Faqir Chand murder case. The Dera chief, along with three others, was charged with the murder Faqir Chand, a manager in the Dera. Chand had disappeared under suspicious circumstances in 1991. Despite the fact a HukamNama was issued by the Sikh Takhts demanding strict and legal action against the Ram Rahi, the Shiromani Parbandhak Committee, the ruling Akali Dal, and the Punjab Government, failed to participate in the legal process against Ram Rahim.
(Please see related articles on right pane)
Hats off to the organizations that worked so hard to bring the killers to justice. We can talk, they have actually done it. Bless you all.
This proves that there is a system in place, those who seek justice simply need to be dedicated and deligent in seking that justice and truth.Justice can be delayed, but never averted if there is a will and honesty prevails on the part of those who seek that.