Conference organized here by Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardani), and attended by various Panthic Bodies including Dal Khalsa and Sikh Students Federation and AISSF.

Sikh bodies, during the conference, blamed both Akali Dal and Congress for criminalisation and commercialization of politics in Punjab.

In a political resolution adopted during a conference organized by SAD (Panch Pardani), the gathering resolved to take the struggle for right to self determination to its logical conclusion.

In another resolution it accused the Punjab Government for misusing process of law to target political opponents. “The government is hell bent to prolonged the detention of Bhai Daljeet Singh, Chairman of Panch Pardhani, by subverting the process of law”, reads the resolution.

The gathering condemned the mixing of Nanakshahi calendar with Bikrami and vowed to stand by original calendar adopted in April 2003 by rejecting amendments made by SGPC this year. They also called upon various political parties to join hand for upcoming SPGC election against ruling SAD (Badal).

In solidarity with Dr. Binayak Sen, the speakers protested in strongest words his conviction for life. Through a resolution they also condemned the state’s efforts to gag the voices of sanity and justice including Arundhati Roy, Syed Geelani and others.

Conference organized by SAD (Panch Pardhani) was attended by leaders of Dal Khalsa, Sikh Students Federation, AISSF, SAD (International) and Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj

SAD (Panch Pardani) leader Harpal Singh Cheema gave a clarion call for revival of true Akali culture, thought and traditions. He urged the masses to come out of slumber and fight to end slavery. He blamed Badals for making SGPC an extension counter of SAD.

Hitting out at Sangh Brotherhood for engineering terrorism to terrorise the minorities, Dal Khalsa president H S Dhami blamed the Indian establishment for adopting soft attitude towards the terrorism carried out by section of Hindu fanatical elements.

Dal Khalsa secretary for political affairs Kanwar Pal Singh advocated peaceful struggle for Punjab’s sovereignty and independence. Human Rights Activist Advocate Navkiran Singh said the state of Punjab continues to reel under custodial torture, illegal detention, harassment and long confinement in jails.

Commenting on identity crisis being faced by Sikh Diaspora, SSF president Paramjit Singh Gazi said “disrespect to turban is intolerable and unacceptable whether it happens at US airports or at police stations of Punjab and India. AISSF head Karnail Singh slammed the Indian justice system for failing to deliver justice to victims of 1984 Delhi carnage.

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SYP leaders honouring Advocate Navkiran Singh

Jalandhar (December 25, 2010): Committing themselves to upholding respect for Punjabi in all walks of life, two year old youth body, Sikh Youth of Punjab (SYP) resolved to launch a sustained campaign in 2011 to ensure implementation of Punjabi in government offices, private companies, multi-national companies, schools, colleges and universities in Punjab.

Addressing an impressive gathering of young school and college going youth on the occasion of the second anniversary of the body, President Gurpreet Singh Mann said that they will spare no effort to ensure that Punjabi is implemented in Punjab. All organizations who default in doing so would be exposed and wherever necessary legal action would be taken.

Gurpreet Singh Mann further said his body of Sikh youth was committed to revival of the grace and glorious traditions of Sikh culture and uprooting of the growth and proliferation of a demeaning sub-culture in the Punjab.

Declaring their party motto as Healthy Punjab- Drug free Punjab, he said the drug abuse is number one problem of Punjab today. The gathering appealed to all Punjabis not to vote for those who distribute alcohol and drugs to influence the voters.

The Sikh Youth of Punjab was launched at Amritsar with the declared purpose of “empowering and harnessing youth power for the welfare and growth of the Sikh nation.”

Punjanb and Haryana High Court Advocate and human rights activist Navkiran Singh, who was chief guest, spoke on the need for constructive role to be played by youth for building a new leadership in Punjab. Addressing the youth, he realized them that rights have responsibilities attached with it. Dwelling upon the reasons why the youth was drifting away from being religious, he lambasted the double standards of the present-day Sikh leadership and encouraged the youth to look upon Sikh historical personalities as their role models. “The new generation should equip itself to meet modern challenges, particularly to meet the identity crisis in India and the rest of the world.” said Navkiran Singh in his concluding remarks.

The gathering of around 250 young Sikhs unanimously extended one year term of Gurpreet Singh Mann for post of party president. Noblejeet Singh was elected vice-president and Parbhjot Singh as spokesperson in addition to secretary publications. Tarjinder Singh Sohal was nominated as general secretary while law graduate Vishawjeet Singh was designated Secretary for human rights affairs. Three organizing secretaries were appointed to strengthen the body at grassroots level. Former head Ranbir Singh was been named as Advisor to the body.

According to a news release issued on Saturday evening, a 30-member working committee will run the affairs of SYP.

Releasing the policy document of the organization, general secretary Tarjinder Singh said their group (SYP) holds the vision of a New Punjab living up to the ideals of the great . “Our vision of a New Punjab is a Punjab based on fundamental principles of democracy, inclusive growth of all sections of society, respect for mother tongue Punjabi and fulfillment of rightful and legitimate political aspirations of the people without fear, favour or hindrance from any quarter”.

Taking a serious note of the demeaning sub-culture that pervades their lives today in Punjab, another senior leader Parbhjot Singh said a new culture of convenience, nepotism and corruption has been thrust on the people of the state. He said, “SYP is committed to undo the effects of this trend on the new generation”

Dal Khalsa president H S Dhami and spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh who were present on the occasion to give their ‘blessings’ to youngsters, educated them of the current pitfalls of nepotism, corruption and chicanery and urged them not to fall victim to these.

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• LFHRI Expressed anguish over detainment of Parminder Singh Saini

Prof. Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar

Chandigarh (March 2, 2010): To promote the cause of seeking clemency for the victims of Death Penalty the Sikh Students Federation shall conduct a signature campaign at Punjab University Chandigarh on 4^th of March, 2010. In a press statement issued by Jagdeep Singh, Joint Secretary of the organization, it is said that 139 countries around the globe have either abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. Recently Keniya has stayed the execution of about 3000 prisoners, who were awarded death penalty. India has not executed any prisoner for death penalty after 2004 and before that the last execution took place in1997. The track record shows that India is fast moving towards a state which is not in favor of death penalty. “However till India decides to do away with the death penalty, it’s essential to draw attention to the prisoners who are facing death penalty in this country which are totaling in number in relation to whom mercy petitions are pending before the President Of India.” said SSF President, Parmjeet Singh Gazi.

He further informed that this campaign is started by Lawyers for Human Rights International, an organization promoting the cause of Human Rights, and SSF is conducting the campaign in various educational institutions, and Mata Upkar Kaur, mother of Prof. Devinderpal Singh Bhullar shall attend Thusday’s Campaign at PU, Chandigarh.

Currently SSF is perusing the cases of three persons who are behind the bars since a long time and are awaiting execution; these include Prof. Devinderpal Singh Bhullar (Tihar Jail Delhi), Dharampal (Ambala Jail, Haryana) and Piara Singh (Amritsar Jail, Punjab).  “Death punishment is awarded to Bhullar, who has served about 15 years in prison, by ignoring many legal and evidentiary facts, therefore inherent flaws of the judgment forms basis for demanding clemency for Bhullar.” said PS Gazi. Similarly, prolonged detention, inhuman conditions of life in prison and health factor forms basis for demanding clemency for Piara Singh and Dharampal, he added.

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Statement further reads that Barrister Saini was involved in hijacking of a plane of Indian Airlines from Jammu to Lahore on 6th July 1984 and had undergone the sentence of life imprisonment in Pakistan and was released after ten years of incarceration in jail and so had been adequately punished for his alleged offence.

It is also noteworthy that the said hijacking was an outburst of anguish towards the then government, which had indulged into operation blue star in June 1984, in which several hundred of Sikhs including innocent pilgrims were killed by the Indian army in Darbar sahib Amritsar. It is also pertinent to mention that the history of plane hijackings started when for the first time after the independence of India, a plane was hijacked by two brothers from Allahabad in 70’s, as a mark of anguish for incarceration of the late prime minister of India Shmt. Indira Gandhi, who or regaining power had honored with Rajya Sabha membership to one of the brothers. So the reaction of the present Indian government in invoking the provisions of National Security Act against Barrister Parminder Singh, cannot be found to be justifiable from the moral angle, says the statement.

Advocate Navkiran singh informed SikhSiyasat Network that Barrister Parminder Singh Saini firstly, completed his graduation, while he was in Pakistan Jail and thereafter on his release in 1994, had entered Canada in 1995 and had obtained the degree of B.A.(Hons) from York University, Toronto Canada and thereafter did his law from University of Windsor, Ontario Canada and was a student of Masters of law , when abruptly he was deported from Toronto Canada to New Delhi India on 27 January 2010. There was no occasion or reason for the Canadian authorities to have deported him in view of his excellent educational career, which disclosed that he was an asset to the society and could  not by any stretch of imagination could not be considered to be a security risk to Canada or India.

He added that the manner in which Barrister Saini has been treated by the Indian Government also raises important questions, as to whether the claims of the Indian Government that it wants people who had once sought alienation from the Indian nation, to join the mainstream are hollow claims or the Indian government is sincere in its claims.

“Our organization takes strong notice of the fact that Barrister Parminder Singh was not allowed access to his lawyer or his relatives for atleast 4 hours after his arrival at the Delhi airport and his relatives only could meet him in the morning, i.e. after 14 hours of his landing in Delhi.” says the Statement.

LFHRI has claimed that invoking of National Security Act in this case is a total abuse of powers by the Indian Government, as Barrister Parminder Singh Saini is no security risk to the India’s security. ‘Our organization would expect that he would be released immediately.’ said Navkiran Singh.

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Usha Ramanthan (A Sociologist and Activist)

Chandigarh (October 16, 2009) While addressing a gathering held at Law Bhawan, Chandigarh Madam Usha Ramanathan said that very existence of death punishment in statute books legitimates killings by the State. She said that in a country like Indian which has a written constitution and provision for fundamental rights, the State treats people as ‘subjects’ and not as citizens.

Ramanathan was here to attend a seminar held by Lawyers for Human Rights International (LFHRI) on 10^th October, 2009 on World Day against death penalty. She informed that while about 25,000 people (Sikhs) were being killed by armed forces of Indian State in Punjab, people were justified those killings just because of existence of death penalty in Indian law. She said that right of life and liberty has become meaningless in this country and it is evident from daily happenings.

NOTE: SikhSiyasat Network has audio recording of her speech.

Listen Here

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Chandigarh (October 14, 2009) Advocate Navkiran Singh, General Secretary of Lawyers of Human Rights International, informed SikhSiyasat Network that a petition seeking clemency for Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar is published online by LFHRI and is open for signatures for about next two months. He said that LFHRI has under taken a signature campaign against death penailty awarded to Prof. Bhullar.

To Sign the Petition Click Here

Here is the text of Petition:

Devender Pal Singh Bhullar was sentenced to DEATH by the designated court of Delhi on 25th Aug 2001 and is at present 46 years. After completing his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Guru Nanak engineering College Ludhiana, in 1990, Bhullar started teaching in the same college and taught for more than a year. He belonged to a well settled educated family and his father was Section Officer in Punjab Audit Department and his mother was working as Supervisor in Rural Development Department of Punjab.

On 29th Aug 1991 an incident took place in the city of Chandigarh, where an attempt was made to kill the then SSP of the city, Sumedh Singh Saini and his car was hit by a remote controlled explosion and some of his security guards were killed. The Chandigarh police suspected that Devender Pal Singh Bhullar and his friends were behind the attack. When they could not find Devender Pal Singh, they abducted his father and his maternal uncle in December 1991 and they were tortured to death in police custody.( The CBI has now in the year 2008 registered a case against Sumedh Singh Saini IPS and his associate police officers for this crime on the orders of the Hon’ble Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh).The whole family of his was harassed by the police. An Engineer friend of Bhullar namely Balwant Singh Multani, whose father Darshan Singh Multani was a serving Indian administrative Service officer of Punjab was also abducted during the same time and detained in Chandigarh police custody by Sumedh Singh Saini, the said IPS officer and was also tortured to death( Punjab police made a story of his escape from police custody in Punjab, however the said theory has been disbelieved by the CBI in its enquiry on the basis of which CBI has registered a case under Section 364 of Indian penal Code ie. “Kidnapping or Abducting in order to murder” and other relevant offences).

On 10th Sept 1993 an incident took place in Delhi, where the car cavalcade of the then president of youth congress namely Maninderjit Singh Bitta was attacked by a remote controlled blast in which 9 security men got killed. The police of Chandigarh and Punjab were already looking for Devender Pal Singh Bhullar due to the Chandigarh blast incident and the police thought that the Delhi incident also had the same pattern of blast and so the Delhi police also starting looking for Bhullar.

Devender Pal Singh Bhullar although innocent, but fearing elimination by the police through Torture or Fake encounter with the police in order to save his life, under a fictitious name decided to go to Canada and while he was in transit at Frankfurt airport of Germany, was taken in custody on the basis of suspicion and after remaining in custody with German authorities for 1 month was ordered to be deported to India. Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar was handed over to the Indian Authorities at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi on 19.1.1995.

Upon reaching India, he was arrested and charged with carrying forged passport and false documents punishable under sections 419, 420, 468 and 471 of IPC and section 12 of Passport Act. During the police remand he was denied access to his Lawyer or relatives and he under duress was forced to make a confession before DCP, Delhi, on the basis of which he was booked in the case relating to a car bomb blast which took place in New Delhi in 1993, relating to the attempt to assassinate Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta, the then President of All India Youth Congress(I). Although Bitta escaped with minor injuries, some of his guards and associates died. It was alleged that the act was committed by four persons who were named as accused in the case. Besides, Bhullar, Daya Singh Lahoria and two other persons were named in the case. Bhullar was convicted on the sole basis of his confession before the police, which was admissible as evidence under the special Law ie. Terrorist & Disruptive Activities Prevention Act, where as his co-accused who was also tried along with him ie. Daya Singh Lahoria was acquitted by the trial Court for lack of evidence, as the said confessional statement could not be read against him, since he was extradited from U.S and the U.S authorities at the time of his extradition had obtained an undertaking from the Indian authorities that Daya Singh would not be tried under the TADA, special Law. So since in offences tried under the Indian Penal Code, the confession statements made before the police officers are not admissible as evidence, Daya Singh Lahoria was acquitted on the same charges, in the same trial, where as Devender Pal Singh Bhullar was convicted.

Mr. Bhullar was tried by the designated court-I, Delhi, under TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act). He faced the trial for six years. He was sentenced to Death by the Designated judge, Delhi on 25 Aug 2001, simply on the basis of his alleged confession recorded by a Deputy Police Commissioner during the police remand, which was recanted by Bhullar at the very first opportunity as that was obtained by coercion and torture. The prosecution miserably failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and failed to produce any reliable witnesses. There was no eye-witness in the case, nor did anybody identify Devender Pal Singh as the person who planted the bomb in the car. Simply the police officials who recorded the confession were produced by the prosecution and the trial court convicted the accused purely on the basis of that confession.

It is essential mention over here that in the case relating to the Bomb blast in which Sumedh Singh Saini IPS officer of Punjab, who was in 1991 on deputation as SSP Chandigarh, Devender Pal Singh Bhullar was acquitted of his charges by the Designate court of Chandigarh on 1st Dec 2006, as the prosecution could not produce any evidence worthwhile for convicting Bhullar.

By convicting Devender Pal Singh Bhullar and awarding Death Sentence on the basis of the said confession, the trial court as well as Supreme Court not only committed a grave error of law, but also diverted itself from the usual practice and procedure laid down in other judgments under TADA. The confirmation of capital punishment upon Devender Pal Singh Bhullar and subsequent dismissal of his review petition by the Supreme Court vide the judgment dated 22.3.2002 and 19.12.2002, by a three judge bench of the Supreme Court of India, comprising, Mr.Justice M.B.Shah, Mr.Justice B.N. Aggarwal and Justice Arijit Pasayat in a case under TADA and there after dismissal of the review petition as well as curative petition by the same bench is grave injustice.

After Dismissal of his curative petition on 19th Dec 2002, the mercy petition of Bhullar is pending with the President of India since 14th Jan 2003. More than 6 years & 6 months have passed and Devender pal Singh Bhullar’s mercy petition is still lying undecided. Bhullar has faced slow death each day. As per the Doctors reports he is suffering from Depression since 4 Years, Hypertension since 6 Years and Arthritis and Cervical since 4 years. Out of the total 24 Hours of a day he spends almost 22 hours in his 7 x 9 feet cell, suffering a slow death as a condemned prisoner in the special cell No- 2 of Tihar jail No – 3 , New Delhi since 25th Aug 2001,ie. the day of his conviction.

The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has held through its landmark judgment titled Smt. Triveniben Vs State of Gujarat, as reported in AIR 1989 SC PAGE 1335, held as under:-

“Constitution of India, Articles 32 and 21 – Death sentence awarded by court – Undue delay in execution of death sentence – It entitles the condemned prisoner under Article 32 of Constitution of India to approach court that his death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment – No fixed period of delay, however, could be fixed to make the death sentence in-executable – The delay which could be considered to make the death sentence in-executable starts from the date the judgment by apex court is pronounced i.e. when judicial process has come to an end – The delay which is to be considered is the delay in disposal of mercy petitions or delays occurring at the instance of the Executive”.

The case of Devender Pal Singh Bhullar is worthy of sympathetic consideration by the Hon’ble President Of India and Bhullar deserves a compassionate approach by being granted clemency and conversion of his Death Sentence to Life Imprisonment on the ratio of the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court also.

ARGUMENTS SEEKING CLEMENCY:-

1. Because, the most important point which cannot be lost sight of, is that the senior most judge of the bench, Justice M.B. Shah acquitted the accused of all the charges vide a dissenting judgment. But the two judges, Justice B.N. Aggarwal and Justice Arijit Pasayat passed the majority judgment and after confirming the death sentence, erred in bringing the present case within the ambit of “rarest of rare case”. The view taken by the court is absolutely irrational because of the non availability of corroborative evidence to prove a ‘defective’ confession. In one word, the judgment is erroneous and it has resulted in blatant violation of fundamental right of the accused to have a fair and impartial trial.

2. Because, the reasoning of the apex court that “proof beyond reasonable doubt should be a guideline, not a fetish”, is contrary to the basic principle of criminal jurisprudence that the prosecution has to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and any flaw or loose string may give benefit of doubt to the accused. The view taken by the court that procedure is only “a handmaiden and not the mistress of law” sounds to cover up the failures of prosecution case. No person having knowledge of criminal law can appreciate such a view. Another important question of law arose that when the co-accused Daya Singh Lahoria, named and alleged to have played an active role in the commission offence, in the confessional statement has been acquitted by the trial court, how the person who allegedly made the ‘defective’ confession can be convicted ? Can a statement be read in parts? Mr. Justice M. B. Shah rightly held that “the police failed to corroborate the confessional statement Devender Pal Singh Bhullar”, which is said to have made before them, this despite the fact that the accused retracted that statement and the independent witnesses produced by the police contradicted the confessional statement ascribed to the accused. Moreover, the police, in contravention of the law, failed to send the confessional statement at the earliest opportunity to the magistrate concerned.”

3. Because, the fact that there was no eye-witness or direct evidence to connect the accused with the crime except the ‘confession’, allegedly made by the accused to the police officer and that too not produced before the magistrate with due diligence, deserved benefit of doubt in favour of the accused.

4. Because, imposition of death penalty is a violation of fundamental human rights of life and the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. Both these rights are recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), other international and regional human rights instruments. Article 6(2) of the ICCPR states , “In countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes.”

5. Because, the alleged attempt to assassinate Maninderjit Singh Bitta cannot be called a ‘terrorist act” as per Section 3 of the TADA Act, 1987. If at all it was committed, it was a criminal offence with intention to kill a particular person and not to create terror in the society, thus provisions of TADA have been wrongly applied in the present case.

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Signature Campaign against Death Sentence Awarded to Prof. Devinderpal Singh Bhullar

Chandigarh/Amritsar (October 10, 2009): A Signature campaign against the death penalty was launched today by the Lawyers for Human Rights International from Chandigarh and Dal Khalsa & the Khalsa Action Committee from Sri Amritsar on the occasion of World Day against the Death Penalty. LFHRI held a seminar at Law Bhawan, Sector 37-C, Chandigarh. LFHRI has also adopted two more extreme cases of victims of Death Penalty. At the Seminar Advocate Navkiran Singh, general secretary of LFHRI informed that petition seeking clemency for Devinderpal Singh Bhullar is prepared by LFHRI and signature campaign shall be carried world over by Sikhs and various human rights organizations.

At Sri Amritsar activists of Dal Khalsa and Khalsa Action Committee the groups camped at the entrance gate of Darbar Sahib for 3 hours to draw people’s attention and create awareness against the death penalty. Signatories kept on pouring till late afternoon to sign the form addressed to the President of India, appealing to abolish the death penalty in Indian in general and commuting of death sentence of Prof Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, who is on death row in particular.

Seeking conversion of his death sentence to life imprisonment, the petition signed by nearly 1747 men and women from all walks of society urged the President to view the case of Devender Pal Singh Bhullar with a sympathetic consideration.

The petition pointed out that Prof Bhullar deserves a compassionate approach because the judgment against him was a travesty of norms of criminal jurisprudence as the presiding judge has acquitted him and the ones who have convicted him have done so on the basis of a confession extracted under duress while he was in police custody.

Kanwarpal Singh, the organizer of the campaign said death penalty was an inhumane way to punish people. Government should come up with alternatives to death sentence, he added. He said although India has not carried out any execution for many years, yet this unwritten moratorium should be converted into complete abolishment from the Indian statute. In principle, we reiterate our opposition to death penalty, he said and added that their groups favour commutation of death sentence to life imprisonment to one and all on humanitarian grounds.

KAC chairman Bhai Mohkam Singh said in the 40 years rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, not a single person was sentenced to death, including the person who had made an attempt to kill the ruler. The compassionate philosophy of Sikhism and this historical legacy has been followed by all social, religious and political organizations and the land of Punjab has never sought death penalty for anyone. Prominent amongst those who were present includes Sarbjit Singh Ghuman, Narien Singh, Baldev Singh Ajnala.

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File Photo: Professor Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar

LAWYERS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL on 10^th October 2009, which is observed as World Day Against Death Penalty, is starting a campaign for seeking clemency from President Of India to  Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, who is at present languishing in Tihar jail, New Delhi, India……………….

KINDLY JOIN THE NOBLE CAMPAIGN TO SECURE HIS RELEASE.

Chandigarh (September 20, 2009): In a release issued by Lawyers for Human Rights International General Secretary Sirdar Navkiran Singh (Advocate) the LFHRI has requested all the human rights organizations to join the cause of release of Professor Devender Pal Singh Bhullar. We are sharing the text of release, with our visitors, that runs as follows: (Editor)

Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, who was deported from Germany on 19th Jan 1995, is languishing in Tihar Jail of Delhi since he was awarded death sentence on 25th Aug 2001. His case is a classic example of denial of Justice as he has been convicted just on the basis of his extra judicial confession, allegedly suffered by him under force and threat of the police, while he was in police custody. Even though Bhullar recanted from his so called extra judicial confession, however without any corroborative evidence he was convicted by the TADA court. In the Supreme Court of India, while hearing the appeal, 1 of the 3 judges who were hearing the appeal acquitted him of the charges, while the other 2 upheld the conviction.

Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, who was deported from Germany on 19th Jan 1995, is languishing in Tihar Jail of Delhi since he was awarded death sentence on 25th Aug 2001. His case is a classic example of denial of Justice as he has been convicted just on the basis of his extra judicial confession, allegedly suffered by him under force and threat of the police, while he was in police custody. Even though Bhullar recanted from his so called extra judicial confession, however without any corroborative evidence he was convicted by the TADA court. In the Supreme Court of India, while hearing the appeal, 1 of the 3 judges who were hearing the appeal acquitted him of the charges, while the other 2 upheld the conviction.

There are other human rights violations angles and also his failing health though at his young age of 46 years, which make out a good case for his clemency by the President of India and so an effort is being made to convince the President of India to grant him clemency.

Lawyers for Human Rights International

World Coalition Against Death Penality

LFHRI has been elected on the steering committee of the International body, WCADP, in its General Assembly held in Rome on 13th June 2009 and so since LFHRI now shares the responsibility to campaign for abolishing of Death Penalty in various parts of the world, where Death Penalty is still in force. We on 10th October which is observed as World Day Against Death Penalty, are starting a signature campaign in Chandigarh, India, for making a fresh clemency appeal to the President of India for release of  Devender Pal Singh Bhullar. An online petition will be launched by his mother on that day.

LFHRI seeks help from International Human Rights bodies and social organizations and likeminded individuals who stand against the Death Penalty to  start such signature campaigns throughout the world, in order to give momentum to the Campaign for seeking clemency for Devender Pal Singh Bhullar and similar situated detenus. The petition will be provided by LFHRI in the 1st week of Oct 2009, which can be got physically signed by the org and individuals who want to associate with our campaign.

Press Release for preparation of 10th October 2009 (Devenderpal Singh Bhullar Case) (.pdf Version)

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• UK Parliament: Written reply dated December 19 on question regarding Prof. DPS Bhullar

Professor Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar

Chandigarh (September 18, 2009) Lawyers for Human Rights International shall start a signature campaign against death sentence awarded to Prof. Devinder Pal Singh Bullar currently lodged in Tihar Jail (Delhi). LFHRI General Secretary, Advocate Navkiran Singh informed SikhSiyasat Network that the campaign shall start on 10^th October 2009 which is going to be observed as International Day against Death Penalty. LFHR in association with World Coalition against Death Penalty shall hold the signature campaign world wide.

Devender Pal press release for preparation of 10th Oct

• Join the noble cause of securing release of Prof. Bhullar – LFHRI
• Campaign for Prof. Bhullar at PU Chandigarh on 4 March
• Grant Clemency to Death Penalty Victim Devender Pal Singh Bhullar: LFHRI
• Campaign against death penalty starts from Punjab
• UK Parliament: Written reply dated December 19 on question regarding Prof. DPS Bhullar