Sikh Siyasat News (in English) » Bhai Daljeet Singh Bittu

Imprisonment of Bhai Daljit Singh Continues

Gurtej Singh — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:28:24 +0000

Ludhiana, Punjab (January 16, 2012): A heavy security force was present around the Ludhiana courts today as Sikh activist Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu and several others were to appear in relation to several different ongoing trials.

Bhai Daljit Singh appeared in the court of additional session judge, Karamjit Singh on charges of robbery going back to the 1987 robbery of the National Bank in Ludhiana. The trial has been ongoing since July 2011 but no decision has been made yet. The next court date has been set for January 27, 2012.

The ongoing and continuous imprisonment of these Sikhs, along with hundreds of other Sikhs across India, is a constant reminder of the injustices inflicted upon the Sikh minority by the Government of India. Many Sikhs have been imprisoned under unconstitutional laws that have kept them behind bars for decades without even a charge being laid against them.

Source: freethesingh.com

Decision of Ropar case and Detention of Bhai Daljit Singh

Webmaster — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:34:21 +0000

Ropar, Punjab (January 6, 2012): Smt. Manjot Kaur, additional sessions judge, today acquitted Bhai Daljit Singh and co-accused, Buta Singh, Baljit Singh Bhau, Balwinder Singh Dekwala and Sukhwinder Singh in a Ropar court on several counts of unlawful activities and the illegal possession of explosive materials and firearms. One of the co-accused, Harminder Singh Cherrian, was however sentenced to three years in prison for the illegal possession of firearms.

On November 15, 2009 at Sadar police station, an FIR was registered under section 25 of the Arms Act, 3 and 4 of the Explosives Act, and 16, 17, 18, and 18B of the Unlawful Activities Act and the co-accused were arrested in relation to this case. Interestingly, Bhai Daljit Singh is not mentioned at all by name in this FIR.

In an attempt to sideline activists like Bhai Daljit Singh from Punjab’s political arena, the administration and police teamed up to implicate him in another false case. According to the police, Harminder Singh Cherrian told police while in custody that Bhai Daljit Singh once gave him a small sum of money to arrange a local religious programme. With this tiny piece of information, Bhai Daljit Singh was tied into a criminal conspiracy completely unrelated to the incident in the witness’ statement and was consequently charged under the Unlawful Activities Act which recently replaced draconian laws like TADA and POTA.

There are several possible motives for the registration of such false cases against Sikh political leaders like Bhai Daljit Singh, but they all relate back to the Indian state’s constant efforts at restraining the resurgence of a movement to reestablish Sikh sovereignty in Punjab. By increasing the number of cases registered against Bhai Daljit Singh, authorities were able to guarantee he would be denied bail and thus sidelined from Punjab politics but more specifically the looming SGPC elections.

Despite the complete lack of evidence against Bhai Daljit Singh, the court proceedings and prosecution continued unabated for two years. Even after the prosecutor, Advocate Sarbjit Singh Bhangu dropped charges against Daya Singh Lahoria in the same case, citing the lack of evidence, and recommended for the same to be done to Bhai Daljit SIngh, the court continued with the prosecution. Despite this blatant judicial mismanagement, Bhai Daljit SIngh was still kept in jail for the duration of the trial.

After his release following a 10 year prison sentence in 2005, Bhai Daljit Singh has been implicated in six false cases – the Ropar case being the fourth he has beaten. Of the two remaining, one is ongoing in Ludhiana, while another in Mansa continues despite a lack of evidence. Although he has been granted bail with regards to the Ludhiana trial, the Mansa court has denied him bail and he remains incarcerated in Amritsar Central Jail.

25th acquittal in a row: Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu acquitted in Ropar case

Parmjit Singh — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:01:50 +0000

Ropar, Punjab (January 05, 2011): Bhai Daljit Singh, chairman of Akali Dal Panch Pardhani was acquitted today from false charges under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by a trial court of Ropar, Punjab.

This case was initially framed against Mahinder Singh Chairian, Baljeet Singh Bhau, Buta Singh and Mohinder Singh under FIR 165, dated 15 November, 2009 at Sadar Police Station, Ropar Punjab. The case was registered under section 16, 17, 18 and 18B of UA(P)A, Sections 4 and 5 of Explosive Act and Section 25 of Arms Act. Bhai Daljit Singh was framed in this case at a later stage.

The court also acquitted all other persons charged in this case from all charges, except Mahinder Singh Chairian who is convicted under section 25 of the Arms Act, and is sentenced to undergo 3 years imprisonment. MS Chairian was also acquitted from charges under UA(P)A and Explosives Act.

Throughout the trial the prosecution was not able to produce even an iota of evidence against Bhai Daljit Singh in support of allegations of ”unlawful activities” levelled against him.

It is notable that Bhai Daljit Singh was charged in this case for incurring travelling expenditure of Sikh Sangat to attend a socio-religious function.

“There was no evidence or witness to support the prosecution’s allegations against Bhai Daljit Singh, therefore the court acquitted him” informed Advocate Sarabjeet Singh Bhangu, the counsel of Bhai Daljit Singh. “The whole case was based on baseless imaginary stories, having no factual or legal relevance and was liable to be dismissed” he added.

Advocate Bhangu further told Sikh Siyasat that during the trial the prosecution had once told the court to close the case against Bhai Daljit Singh as it had nothing to produce against him. But that day Bhai Daljit Singh was not produced in the court by Jail authorities and Punjab police, therefore in his absence the prayer of prosecution was not entertained. Later the prosecution, apparently under political pressure, refused to withdraw the case. He said that the court accepted supplementary chargesheet charging Bhai Daljit Singh in the absence of prima facie evidence.

“Though Bhai Daljit Singh is acquitted today, but taking into account the facts and circumstances of the case and the fact two years long custody during trial, I could say that in this case – the process has amounted to punishment” said Advocate SS Bhangu.

Bhai Daljit Singh has been acquitted in four cases, including three charges of Sedition, since his arrest in August 2009 but he is still confined in Central Jail of Amritsar, Punjab due to another false charge that is pending against him in Mansa Court.

Since he was first arrested in 1995, Bhai Daljit Singh has spent 12 years in prison without conviction. He was charged in 28 cases, of which he is acquitted in 25 cases while 3 are still pending. Most of the cases were of political nature and he is targeted due to his dissenting political ideology and activism.

UK Sikh Lobby: Denial of Justice to 1984 Victims, death sentence of Prof. Bhullar and detention of Daljit Singh Bittu figured as major issues related to India

Gurjaspal Singh — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:31:40 +0000

Sikhs secure significant commitments by politicians in UK Parliament regarding Sikh issues

London, England (December 13, 2011): Around one hundred and fifty Sikh representatives from across the United Kingdom took part in a lobby at the UK Parliament organised by the Sikh Federation (UK).

Several human rights issues were raised at the lobby, which lasted for two hours, including the case of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and the continued detention of (Bhai) Daljit Singh Bittu, chairman of Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani) since August 2009 and the denial of justice for the Sikh Genocide 1984.

SSF President Parmjeet Singh Gazi adressing media outside British Parliament

Bhai Parmjeet Singh Gazi, the President of the Sikh Student Federation, had travelled from Punjab to UK to to give a first-hand account on these issues. He said that set norms were ignored at all levels in Professor Devender Pal Singh Bhullar’s case. At pre-trial state, the police tortured him in custody to extract false confession; during trial the judiciary failed to apply set standards of law like “proof beyond reasonable doubt” and at post-trial stage President of India failed to grant clemency, whereas Professor Bhullar fulfilled four out of seven clemency grounds, even on of which is normally considered sufficient to grant clemency.

He said that Bhai Daljeet Singh is arrested and detained due to his political dissent. His detention has resulted in halting the development of political process to secure justice of Sikhs. His detention has no legal base, as the prosecution has drastically failed to furnish even single peice of evidence against him during last two years.

Many senior Sikh leaders of UK, such as Bhai Sukhwinder Singh, Bhai Narinderjeet Singh Thandi and Bhai Gurjeet Singh Samra said that arrest and detention of Bhai Daljeet Singh Bittu due to political reason is particular cause of concern for Sikhs living in Punjab and abroad. They said that Daljeet singh Bittu is a prisoner of conscience and UK Government should use diplomatic means to prevent India from targeting political leadership of Sikhs for their political dissent.

Sikh leaders, Bhai Amrik Singh (first from right) and Bhai Dabinderjeet Singh (fourth from right), with British MPs during Sikh Lobby

He stressed that “as a general rule genocides are committed by the State or with it’s complicity, leaving prosecution of domestic courts could only insure impunity”, therefore international initiative has become necessary at this stage to secure justice for victims of Sikh genocide 1984.

Fabian Hamilton MP, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs, chaired the meeting alongside Dabinderjit Singh of the Sikh Federation who contributed on each of the issues. Fabian Hamilton confirmed he would facilitate meetings in the next few weeks with the National Union of Students and Amnesty International to assist with human rights campaigns involving Professor Bhullar and Daljit Singh Bittu.

Respect for the Sikh Identity was the second main issue and an update was provided on the trial at UK airports of checking the Sikh turban and a strategy for influencing the European Commission to implement similar procedures at airports across Europe. Sukhvinder Singh, an advisor to the Sikh Federation explained developments at the UK and European level.

Harnek Singh, one of the five Managing Directors of the Sikh Federation provided an update on Amritdhari Sikhs right to wear the Kirpan in public places e.g. sporting events and tourist attractions following the victories on the right to wear the Kirpan at the London Olympics 2012 and Lords Cricket Ground. He explained the significance of the Kirpan to an Amritdhari and many politicians agreed there needed to be much better awareness of the Kirpan. Nicky Morgan a Conservative MP confirmed she would be meeting the Tourism Minister later in the week and would take up the issue of the right to wear the Kirpan at tourist attractions, such as the London Eye and Madam Tussauds.

Bavinder Kaur, the Chair of the Sikh Womens’ Alliance, was asked to speak about the need for a stronger political voice for UK Sikhs, the importance of the Sikh Council UK and the need for the Coalition government to move away from dealing with one or two so-called ‘community leaders’. Many of the dozen or so MPs from all three of the main political parties that spoke at the lobby agreed that officials needed to change the way they interact with the Sikh community.

MPs that attended included a number of former Ministers – John Spellar MP, Pat McFadden MP and the former Foreign Secretary Rt. Hon. Margaret Beckett MP. The most significant contribution came from the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Simon Hughes MP, who spoke passionately at the June Freedom Rally in Trafalgar Square, recently visited Amritsar as promised and confirmed that a date for a Sikh delegation to meet the Deputy Prime Minister would be confirmed in early January 2012. He also committed to facilitate a schedule of meetings between the Sikh Federation and Ministers in a number of different Government Departments, including the Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), Bhai Amrik Singh, spoke at the end to specifically thank Fabian Hamilton, Simon Hughes and other politicians that participated in the lobby.

At the end it was agreed the next lobby towards the end of March 2012 will be combined with a celebration of Vaisakhi and a pledge was made to have senior Ministers and Shadow Ministers from the three main political parties present to answer questions on the sorts of issues raised at this lobby.

Dal Khalsa’s Memorandum to HRW on World Human Rights Day 2011

Webmaster — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 15:53:42 +0000

On World Human Rights Day, Dal Khalsa sends memo to HRW
Cataloguing incidents of rights violations of past one year in Punjab
Describes cane-charging on protestors an art of public torture

Saturday, December 10th, 2011

Full text of the Memo:

The Director
Human Rights Watch
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10118-3299,

USA

Dear Sir/Madam:

On the occasion of 63rd World Human Rights Day, Dal Khalsa provides a comprehensive, though not exhaustive list, of violations of human rights of ordinary people, unionists and political activists in Punjab at the hands of the already tainted Punjab police in the year 2011. Similar incidents have taken place in the last three years too.

The history of brutality of the Punjab police is notorious worldwide. It has been documented in various human rights status reports of the two decade long Punjab rights struggle by your organisation and many others.

In recent times, it has taken the brutal shape of a police cane. Whenever and wherever there is a political or social protest, water cannons, tear gas and riot control gear are conspicuous by their absence. The ubiquitous “danda” is always at hand. Without permission from any magistrate, under orders of the local police officer, protesting ordinary people, teachers and activists are brutally cane-charged with full impunity. This art of “public torture” reminiscent of justice of medieval times continues unabated in full media glare without remorse, shame or necessity to correct the situation.

We furnish here cases under four categories:

Abolition of Death Penalty
Prisoner of Conscience –Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu
Custodial Deaths

Police beating protestors
Probes by various governmental and semi-governmental authorities have not been able to ensure that the police use humane measures to handle protest situations. Higher courts do not deliver justice to Sikhs and when they do, police does not follow and when this happens, the police is not reprimanded by the courts, so their impunity continues unabatedly.

Dal Khalsa urges you to take up these with the Union government of India. We are particularly concerned about the prospects of retired senior police officers jumping into the political fray. While there is no doubt that every citizen is well within rights to join politics, what concerns us that those who are taking the political route to become lawmakers have a history of gross lawlessness. Many of them have charges framed against them in various courts under various sections of IPC and their trial is on. The public is conscious of their nefarious role in subverting rule of law.

The recent judgment of the Supreme Court of India, in which it has rejected a probe against a police officer, accused for violation of human rights, only on technical grounds, once again shows that the people of Punjab, particularly the Sikhs, are denied equal opportunity when judgements are made. It is shocking that the judges of the Supreme Court, after spending years of hearing the matter, dismissed it without going into the merits of the case.

On the Death Row: Prof. Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar continues to be on the death row for the last more than a decade. Many more have been sentenced to death and are either awaiting decision of their clemency petitions or adjudication by higher courts.

Prisoner of Conscience: Bahi Daljit Singh Bittu –a presidium leader of the political party –Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani) was arrested on 27 August 2009, without any specific charges, under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967. His plea for bail has been dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Daljit Singh is a political dissenter and he is inconvenient to the present establishment of Punjab. It is in pursuance of this undemocratic mission that the government continues to gag him and prolong his detention. Pertinently, Daljit Singh has already served more than 10 years in detention prior to the present arrest.

Shaminder Singh Shera dies in mysterious circumstances:
25 January 2011: Shaminder Singh Shera resident of Baguwal, district Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar died in PGI, Chandigarh. Shera, who appeared in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Jan 3, 2011 revealed how he was kept severely tortured during his illegal police custody at Balachaur police station in Oct, 2010. He pleaded for protection from the High Court as he apprehended threat to his life from the police. Despite High Court orders, Shera was not provided with police protection. On 17 Jan 2011, Shera was attacked by some unknown miscreants near his village with sharp-edge weapons. He was critically injured and was taken to the PGI Hospital, Chandigarh where he died on 25 Jan 2011 succumbing to his injuries.

Custodial Deaths:

Sohan Singh, Amritsar
March 3, 2011: The police arrested Sohan Singh from his in-laws house at village Varpal, near Amritsar and kept him in illegal custody for 3 days. He was shown arrested on 6 March 2011 in a militancy related case. His wife met Sohan Singh in police custody. He told his wife that he was physically tortured and was under immense mental pressure. On March 14, 2011 the police claimed that Sohan Singh had committed suicide in custody. Actually, he died in police custody at Mall Mandi interrogation centre at Amritsar due to severe torture. However, the police concocted the story that Sohan Singh had committed suicide while in custody.

Surjit Singh Makhu
October 28, 2011: Surjit Singh, resident of tehsil Makku district Moga a retired army jawan was found dead in police custody under Station House Officer Gurjant Singh. He was brought to police station in a theft case as he was serving as a Guard in a telephone exchange department. The son of the deceased has blamed the police for torturing his father to death.

Paramjeet Singh Batala
November 18, 2011: Paramjeet Singh, a resident of village Rasulpur Taprian under Fatehgarh Churrian police station in Batala police district died in police custody. He was arrested along with his two brothers in a theft case where he was brutally tortured. After public pressure, police registered a case of negligence against Station House Officer, ASI and other constables.

POLICE BRUTALITIES AGAINST CROSS SECTION OF SOCIETY:

Jasbir Singh Mullanpur
1 October 2011: SHO Mullanpur Dakha district Ludhiana Prem Singh thrashed and maltreated Army man Jasbir Singh at police station before the eyes of his aged father Harbans Singh. The police implicated 27 year old Jasbir Singh who is posted at Khanpur Camp in Delhi, in two false cases.

Pharmacists beaten
October 6, 2011: Protesting pharmacists were beaten up by the police in the village Khiowali, near Malout, district Bhatinda.

Farmers beaten
October 13 2011: The police cane charged farmers who were protesting against the construction of a boundary wall over a piece of land for the proposed Indiabulls power plant. The police arrested a group villagers heading towards the trouble-torn Gobindpura village, even as a section of farmers held a protest march in the village.

Power Linemen and Computer Teachers Beaten
October 23, 2011: Unemployed power linemen and computer teachers were cane-charged by the police at village Miduhera near Bhatinda.

ETT teachers beaten
October 30, 2011: Protesting ETT teachers especially women were excessively beaten-up by the police at Bhatinda-Mansa chowk.

Unemployed Linemen beaten
November 3, 2011 In the tehsil of Sultanpur Lodhi district Kapurthla unemployed linemen, who were protesting to get the jobs were brutally thrashed by the police.

Unemployed Linemen and ETT teacher’s beaten
November 4, 2011 At Mahal Kalan town, district Barnala, unemployed linemen and ETT teachers were beaten up by the police.
Socio-religio activist Tek Singh Dhanaula, Barnala manhandled

5 November 2011 In violation of Punjab and Haryana High Court, a religious preacher Tek Singh Dhanuala was manhandled and bundled into a vehicle by the policemen outside city police station of Barnala where he went to appear before the station officer in connection with a FIR registered against him. Tek Singh Dhanuala had recently defected from the ruling Akali Dal party and joined another faction of Akali Dal led by former Governor Surjit Singh Barnala.

Power Linemen beaten
November 8, 2011: Police thrashed protesting linemen in full public view at Darbar Ganj district Faridkot where Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was to hold Sangat Darshan.

Akali leader Nardev Singh manhandled
November 9, 2011: Sub Inspector Darshan Singh pulled the beard of Akali leader Nardev Singh Aakri and manhandled him in full public view at Patiala.

Health workers beaten:
November 23, 2011: At Mohali-Palsaur border, health workers were protesting for their demands. The police thrashed them with batons.

Veterinary Inspectors beaten
December 3, 2011: In the village of Badal, the protesting veterinary inspectors were beaten up mercilessly by the police.

Teachers beaten

December 06, 2011: The police brutally cane-charged protesting teachers in Sukhna Abloo village of Muktsar district who were demonstrating against the manhandling of one of their woman colleague teacher Varinder Pal Kaur by a sarpanch Baljinder Singh who belonged to ruling party led by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

These abuses widely reported in the media have failed to elicit any reaction from the law-makers in the state of Punjab or the Union government in Delhi. Sadly, they have benumbed the people into a morass, virtually granting impunity to the lawless police force.

We are clearly heading towards a lawless state, where anarchy rules and combined with the economic difficulties of the people, will force the people too to take the law into their hands. This does not portent well for the state and its people and we urge the Human Rights Watch to take this up with appropriate international forums and the Indian government.

Dal Khalsa seeks:

Abolition of death penalty in India. Till that is done, the present moratorium on death penalty must continue.
Bhai Daljit Singh must be immediately released. Human Rights Watch is requested to launch a campaign for his release.
A fresh judicial enquiry into the custodial deaths.
Intervention by all law makers and law enforcing agencies to ensure a more humane approach to protestors than what is being followed by the Punjab police.
Awareness campaign on human rights for all Punjab police personnel from the highest hierarchies to the constabulary.
We are committed to follow up these cases and look forward to your reply.

With Greetings of hope for a better world on this World Human Rights Day

Sincerely,

Kanwar Pal Singh
Secretary for Political Affairs
Dal Khalsa.

High Court denies bail to Bhai Daljeet Singh in Ropar Case

Baljeet Singh — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:40:29 +0000

Chandigarh (October 13, 2011): Though the prosecution has failed to bring any evidence or witness against Bhai Daljeet Singh in Ropar case, the High Court today turned down his bail plea.

Hearing the case Justice Rajesh Bindal of Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the lower court to conduct timely hearings of the case and dispose it off with in specified time. Such specified limit, under Indian judicial system, always remain subject to subsequent extensions, at the request of prosecution.

It is notable that bail application in this case was moved to the High Court in 25 February, 2011 and court conducted hearings on 6 April, 6 May, 14 July and 25 August, 2011. Last time (on 25 August, 2011) 13 October, 2011 was fixed as next date for hearing.

The court was said to be waiting for completion of witness examination in trial court, and was supposed to decide the bail application accordingly.

No witness deposed against Bhai Daljeet Singh in trial court and police has nothing to establish his link with the case.

“Now the court has denied the bail on the ground that witnesses have deposed so trial should conclude soon and there is no need to grant bail” informed Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, who along with Adocate Puran Singh Hundal, represented Bhai Daljeet Singh in the High Court.

It is worth mentioning that this case was initially registered against Mahinder Singh Chairian and others, and even initial charge-sheet was field against them alone. It was only after the arrest of Bhai Daljeet Singh in August 2009, due to political reasons, his name was attached with this case.

During trial the prosecution first expressed its’ will to withdraw case against Bhai Daljeet Singh, but later retracted and field a charge-sheet falsely accusing him under notorious “Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967″.

In trial court, at Ropar, 20 October, 2011 is the next date for hearing.

SGPC Elections: Elect Panthic Candidate for better management

Gurbhej Singh — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:42:17 +0000

Fatehgarh Sahib: Court appearance of Bhai Daljeet Singh Bittu (File Photo)

Fatehgarh Sahib (July 29, 2011): Bhai Daljeet Singh Bittu, Chairman of SAD (Panch Pardhani) has urged Sikh masses to elect Panthic Candidates, in general elections of SGPC, who oppose Badal’s control over the statutory body.

The Badal regime’s control has turned the vital body into private property of Badal Family, as a result of it- corruption and misutilization of funds has become a common deal in daily affairs of SGPC, Bhai Daljeet Singh told reporters outside Fatehgarh Sahib court.

He was brought to Fatehgarh Sahib from Amritsar Jail to appear before the court in a case related to 31 May, 2007 Khalsa March. The march was called by Sri Akal Takhat Sahib and was organized by SGPC. Though this march had witnessed the presence of Punjab’s Deputy CM, Sukhbir Badal, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, Damdami Taksal Head Harnam Singh Dhuma, Jathedars of various Sikh Takhats, religious preachers of Sant Samaj including Baba Hari Singh Randhawa, Baba Sukhchain Singh Dharampura, Baba Baljeet Singh Daduwal, and representatives of various other Sikh bodies; Bhai Daljeet Singh Bittu was the only person who was falsely charged under the criminal law for participating in the March, for political reasons.

“It is necessary for various Panthic bodies to stand united and not to oppose each other’s candidate to secure better results”, said Bhai Bittu.

Information about Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu

Jaspal Singh — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:42:26 +0000

Bhai Daljit Singh ji

Bhai Daljeet Singh is former president of Sikh Students Federation, who led the organization during armed phase of Sikh Struggle for freedom after the holocausts of June and November 1984.

He is recently re-arrested by Punjab Police due to political reasons on false charges, as he i, being Chairman of Shiromani Akali Dal Panch Pardhani), pursuing the Sikh struggle for freedom by democratic and political means. He is currently confined in Central Jail of Amritsar. Brief information of Bhai Daljeet Singh could be access by downloading following PDF sheet.

Information about Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu (DOWNLOAD NOW)

Denial of clemency to Bhullar sparks a strong wave of criticism in Punjab

Webmaster — Sat, 28 May 2011 11:02:31 +0000

DSGMC, SGPC and other Sikh bodies are called upon to chalk out joint strategy on 30 May meeting at Ludhiana

Amritsar (May 28, 2011): The decision of Union’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), on whose recommendations the President of India rejected the mercy petition of Prof. Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar of Punjab, has sparked a wave of criticism across the State. A joint meeting of Sikh political, religious and social bodies and human rights organizations is called on 30 May, 11 am onwards, at Gurudwara Singh Sabha, Ludhiana by Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani) led by Bhai Daljeet Singh Bittu, who is currently lodged in central jail, Amritsar.

Daljeet Singh Bittu has termed the decision as an outcome of alleged anti-Sikh mind-set of the Union Government, which has opened another chapter of biased against the Sikhs, informed Rajwinder Singh Raju, a local party leader who met Daljeet Singh Bittu in the jail, here today. He alleged that previously it was the judiciary that parted the way of set norm to convict Bhullar on no reliable evidence but now, unfortunately, the political set-up of the country has also applied similar discriminatory norms.

“Bhai Daljeet Singh has urged the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee, all factions of Akali Dal, Damdami Taksal, Sant Samaj, Dal Khasla, Khalsa Action Committee, Sikh Students Federation and other panthic bodies, religious and social groups and personalities and Human Rights’ bodies to attend the meeting so that joint strategy could be chalked out in this matter” informed Rajwinder.

Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, another leader of Panch Pardhani has alleged that the MHA has ignored the “mercy grounds” while deciding the mercy petition of Prof. Bhullar.

“DPS Bhullar satisfy at least four out of seven mercy grounds, therefore he deserved a clemency which is denied in his case” he claimed while adding that satisfaction of one mercy ground is considered sufficient to grant clemency in such cases.

Elaborating his claim about applicability of mercy grounds, Advocate Manjhpur said that Bhullar’s case was a split decision and judge heading the Supreme Courts’ bench had termed the sole bases of conviction as “bundle of lies” and “tailor made confession” and had rejected it. Same judge of apex court had also acquitted Prof. Bhullar in his separate decision.

Bhullar is the sole person convicted for conspiracy which, as per law, requires at least two persons to enter into, while all other accused persons have been acquitted.

Moreover, Bhullar was never convicted in any other case and he had already spent one and half decade in jail which is equal to normal length of life imprisonment. He was a teacher at an engineering college and his father, uncle and friend were killed by police during enforced disappearance. These are such personal and social conditions and circumstances that demand clemency for him.

Report alleges misuse of law against Sikh leader in Punjab

Daljeet Singh — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 04:09:25 +0000

Jalandhar (March 18, 2011): A report on arrest and detention of Sikh leader Bhai Daljeet Singh Bittu, Chairman of Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani) has alleged the misuse of law and legal process. Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur Spokesman of Youth Dal (Panch Pardhani), accompanied by Rajwinder Singh Raju and Sikh Students Federation President Parmjeet Singh Gazi; released the report today during a press conference held at Press club.

The eight page report provides details various cases of Bhai Daljeet Singh and other leaders and workers of Panch Pardhani.

“Punjab police is working to serve political ends of ruling regime of Punjab and black laws like Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, are invoked without legal or evidential base” claimed Manjhpur.

“Legal monetary transfers, such as payment of legal counseling fees to Advocates, payment to newspaper representatives for general newspaper advertisements, payment of school fees of orphans, through authorized banks is termed as “unlawful activities” by the prosecution” he added.

Download a copy of report (in Punjabi/Gurmukhi).