Four youths were killed in police firing in the year 1986, next hearing is on April 2
Chandigarh, March 8 (Neil Bhalinder Singh): Chandigarh, March 8 2019 (Neil Bhalinder Singh): The Punjab and Haryana High Court today took up the 1986 Nakodar Police firing case for hearing today. The High Court Bench of Justice Mahabir Sindhu asked the petitioners to place the part 2 of Justice Gurnam Singh Commission Report on the case. The court has also asked the petitioner whether the Vidhan Sabha has taken any decision on the action to be taken recommendations of the commission or not.
The petitioner has alleged that four ‘birs’ of Guru Granth Sahib were burnt on 2.2.1986 in a Gurdwara at Nakodar, and a substantial number of enraged Sikhs were taking out a protest march in Nakodar on 4.2.1986, when the Police lead by Ashwani Kumar Sharma fired 300 rounds on them. Four young men were killed at the spot. The Police got permission from DM (Darbara Singh Guru) in writing for conducting post-mortem of the dead bodies during night hours due to tense situation, where after they were cremated in a clandestine manner, without involving/ inviting their parents.
Next morning, the ashes of Ravinder Singh were offered to the petitioner, who declined to accept by recording his protest in writing that since the sons have been cremated without their consent, though parents were willing for joining cremation, therefore, he cannot accept ashes of his son. The then State Government appointed Justice Gurnam Singh Inquiry Commission, for inquiring into the matter, and submitting its findings, who submitted his report on 31.10.1986, but Government kept sitting on this report.
Eventually, Inquiry report was placed on the table of Punjab Vidhan Sabha in January, 2001 in a clandestine manner, and petitioner did not even come to know of it. The petitioner got a copy of the Inquiry report, through efforts of Kanwar Sandhu and H.S. Phoolka, MLAs, who raised questions in Punjab Vidhan Sabha on 13.2.2019, and were informed by the Chief Minister that Inquiry Report stood laid on table of the House in January, 2001.
Petitioner has submitted that Judicial Inquiry Commission has severely indicted the three respondents. It has been concluded that before ordering firing on the mob, A.K. Sharma, did not seek permission from DM, Jallandhar, and did not even inform them, although both of them were sitting at a distance of 1 km only at Nakodar itself. Mob was not asked to disburse before firing on them, Postmortem reports revealed that all the four youth were fired on chest or above. One was shot at the jaw.
Police firing was “indiscriminate and ruthless”. 8 persons were injured, and most of them were found to have been fired on upper portions of their bodies. The dead included (i) Ravinder Singh, son of the petitioner; (ii) Harminder Singh (village Chalupur); (iii) Baldhir Singh (village Ram Garh); and (iv) Jhilman Singh (of village Rajewal Gorsina). The petitioner has compared this killing incident with Behbal Kalan firing, and has prayed that FIR under Sections Section 302/307/34 IPC is required to be registered against the respondents.
The parents of three victims have long passed away and the parents of one victim, Ravinder Singh Littran continue the fight for justice and are the petitioners in the said case. The father of the victim, Baldev Singh has requested the court setting up an SIT for investigating the matter against Former District Magistrate Darbara Singh Guru, Former SSP Izhar Alam, and Former SP (HQ) Ashwani Kumar Sharma. The next date for the hearing is April 2, 2019.
