Nov
29
High Court Summons Record in Pardon Cases
November 29, 2005 | 2 Comments
The High Court has summoned the records of the grant of pardon given to two police officers last month by the Governor of Punjab for their role in extrajudicial executions during the police counter-insurgency operations of 1984 to 1995. In 2001, DSP Jaspal Singh was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison for the kidnapping […]
Nov
29
Two women detainees accuse Punjab police of rape
November 29, 2005 | Comments Off on Two women detainees accuse Punjab police of rape
Two women arrested in Punjab on charges of possession of poppy husk claim that Punjab police raped them: The court ordered the medical examination of the women, from Mansa in Punjab, who deposed before it yesterday that after being arrested on Thursday for allegedly carrying two kg of poppy husk each, they were taken to […]
Nov
29
Punjab Police Continue to Report Militancy-Related Arrests
November 29, 2005 | Comments Off on Punjab Police Continue to Report Militancy-Related Arrests
As the Punjab police continues to report militancy-related arrests, concerns continue of the illegal detention and torture suffered by these alleged militants. In October 2005, ENSAAF released a report, Punjab Police: Fabricating Terrorism through Illegal Detention and Torture, detailing how Indian security forces routinely use illegal detention, torture, and threats against family members to target […]
Nov
29
CBI Files 2 Cases Arising from 1984 Pogroms
November 29, 2005 | Comments Off on CBI Files 2 Cases Arising from 1984 Pogroms
The CBI has registered two cases against “unknown persons,” regarding incidents of murder and arson, among other crimes, during the November 1984 pogroms of Sikhs in India: The Ministry of Home Affairs had referred 10 cases registered by the Delhi Police to the CBI for examination out of which the agency firmed up investigations in […]
Nov
18
PUNJAB COPS CONVICTED OF 1995 MURDER OF ACTIVIST KHALRA; KPS Gill Remains Free
November 18, 2005 | 1 Comment
On Friday, November 18, 2005, Additional District Judge Bhupinder Singh in Patiala convicted six Punjab police officials in the 1995 abduction and murder case of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The court sentenced Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jaspal Singh and Amarjit Singh to life imprisonment for murder, seven years imprisonment for abduction with […]
Nov
18
Protest over use of human shields by security forces
November 18, 2005 | Comments Off on Protest over use of human shields by security forces
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Kashmir on November 13 to protest the deaths of two men they say Indian security forces used as human shields during an operation the previous day. The protestors placed the bodies of the two men on a highway, refusing to bury them unless those responsible were brought […]
Nov
17
Police reshuffle following televised police torture
November 17, 2005 | Comments Off on Police reshuffle following televised police torture
Twenty-six police officers have been moved from their posts amd a head constable has been suspended following the public outcry over the televised police torture of a boy. On November 11, twenty-six sub-inspectors and assisstant sub-inspectors were moved to different police posts. Station house officers were also directed to prevent reporters from entering police stations with cameras […]
Nov
16
LHRI files petition against governor’s pardon
November 16, 2005 | Comments Off on LHRI files petition against governor’s pardon
Lawyers for Human Rights International filed a petition on November 8 in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the Punjab governor’s pardon of two police officers convicted of extrajudicial executions. This case was mentioned earlier in the blog. In 2001, DSP Jaspal Singh was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison for the […]
Nov
15
Medical report confirms torture
November 15, 2005 | Comments Off on Medical report confirms torture
A medical report released on November 7 has confirmed that Chandigarh police tortured Rakesh, a young man accused of theft. A board of doctors set up by a local court recently to examine Rakesh had revealed that the youth had received injuries on several body parts which might take several days to heal. Rakesh reported […]
Nov
15
Police claim assassination attempt
November 15, 2005 | Comments Off on Police claim assassination attempt
In another police claim of increased militancy, Punjab police say that they have prevented an assassination attempt on former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal by arresting Amarjit Singh. Police arrested Amarjit Singh, lodged an FIR against him for conspiracy to assassinate Bhajan Lal, and claim to have recovered arms and ammunition from him. Based on […]