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Police officer arrested for custodial death

April 27, 2005 | Comments Off on Police officer arrested for custodial death

Although Sub-Inspector Satnam Singh was arrested on April 21 for the custodial death of Balbir Singh, a Dalit man, the two other accused, Station House Officer Jasbir Singh and Punjab Trading Company owner Mindhi Shah, are still at large. The police say that they have not been able to trace them. Sub-Inspector Satnam Singh appeared […]

Man under trial branded by jailers

April 27, 2005 | Comments Off on Man under trial branded by jailers

Mohan Lal, accused in the Lalla murder case, said that Jalandhar jail officers used a hot iron rod to brand “neevi jaat” (low caste) on his back on April 24. Mohan Lal said that he was not allowed to go to the temple because of his caste, and that he was beaten and branded by his jailers. […]

Woman reports rape and torture under police custody

April 27, 2005 | Comments Off on Woman reports rape and torture under police custody

A woman was brought to the Civil Hospital in Bathinda in critical condition on April 25, after she reported being raped in police custody. She was examined by a Health Department team following a court order, but no details of her examination were available. The woman, Pawani, said that the police had fabricated a case […]

Nanavati recommends reopening of 1984 cases

April 23, 2005 | Comments Off on Nanavati recommends reopening of 1984 cases

In a recent interview, Justice Nanavati spoke out for the first time since submitting his report on the 1984 pogroms, recommending that the government reopen cases against some politicians because the investigations were not “properly carried out.” However, he refused to name the cases he thought required reinvestigation, and stated that he did not believe […]

Gujarat police officer says government authorized killings

April 22, 2005 | Comments Off on Gujarat police officer says government authorized killings

RB Sreekumar, former Gujarat intelligence chief, has revealed that the Gujarat government authorized and encouraged killings during the 2002 pogroms. He brought a case against the Gujarat government, saying he was denied a promotion for refusing to act upon the “illegal and unconstitutional directives” of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as well as the state […]

Man dies under police custody

April 22, 2005 | Comments Off on Man dies under police custody

Balbir Singh, a thirty-seven year old Dalit man, died in police custody in Kapurthala on April 21. He was arrested at 1 a.m. that morning on charges of stealing 300 bags of wheat on a tractor-trailer from his employer, Mindhi Shah. He was taken to the Civil Hospital for a medical examination, found fit at 1:35 a.m., […]

Date set for framing of charges against Bhullar

April 14, 2005 | Comments Off on Date set for framing of charges against Bhullar

Fourteen years after the Chandigarh bomb blast, and ten years after being imprisoned, Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar will finally have charges framed against him. Bhullar, along with Pratap Singh and Gursharan Kaur, is an accused in the 1991 explosion aimed at Chandigarh SSP Sumedh Singh Saini. The Punjab police disappeared Bhullar’s father in 1991 and […]

High Court updates

April 12, 2005 | Comments Off on High Court updates

On March 28, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the Punjab government to submit its records regarding SS Virk’s charge sheet.SS Virk was appointed Punjab’s Director-General of Police in February 2005 amid controversy over his role in cases of torture and extrajudicial executions. In addition, the Union Government issued a charge sheet against him […]

Ministry’s action taken report nearly complete

April 12, 2005 | Comments Off on Ministry’s action taken report nearly complete

The Union Home Ministry alleges it is nearly ready to submit the action taken report (ATR) of the Nanavati Commission to the Union Cabinet for its approval. The Nanavati Commission was appointed to investigate the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms and submitted its report to the Home Minister in February 2005. The officials said the Ministry intends to place the […]

Life sentences upheld

April 10, 2005 | Comments Off on Life sentences upheld

The High Court has upheld the life sentences of of Punjab Police DSP Baldev Singh and Head Constable Balwinder Singh. They had filed an appeal to the sentences, which were for the disappearances of seven male members of a Majitha family in 1991. In 1991, Baldev Singh, Balwinder Singh, and a group of others went […]

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