Punjab Disappearances: Fake encounters, Bogus killings between 1980 and 1995 revealed – PTC News

Punjab Disappearances: Fake encounters, Bogus killings between 1980 and 1995 revealed

 

New evidences of 8257 cases of disappearances, mass killing, fake encounters and illegal cremations in Punjab following of a 7 year investigation by the Punjab Documentation and Advocacy Project. release of investigative report and People’s Tribunal findings to be petitioned to the Supreme Court of India.

The report was prepared in the month of April in Amritsar by the Independent People’s Tribunal (IPT), outfit of human rights organisations, wherein information was collected on extra-judicial executions and enforced disappearances during the militancy era to the Supreme Court.

Issue of fake encounters between 1980 and 1995 and burning of 900 unidentified bodies during terrorism days of Punjab resurfaces in the reports lately.

The investigation report will be submitted to the supreme court of India to investigate and deliver justice to all victims of disappearances and killing across Punjab beginning with the 8257 cases.

In 7 years, the Punjab Advocacy and Documentation Project (PDP) examined the victims of fake encounters. In ITP, a panel of judges, lawyers and social workers heard the plight and testimony of 700 victims.

According to the report, the National Human Rights Building limited itself to 2067 killings which took place in three districts of Amritsar, however in the end the fake encounter was not detected by refusing to accept all the cases.

Head of Khalra Mission Organization Paramjit Kaur Khalra said that the untimely people will fulfill the responsibility of identifying the people.

Paramjit Kaur Khalra announced to move supreme court on fake encounters between 1980-1995. A tribunal should be made to listens to the victims said Khalra. Among the victims 90% were Sikhs she added.

Human Rights Activist said that the government is doing nothing in the case. The police had tortured people and kids were thrown out of the houses and killed. However no steps have been taken in the same.

The organisations in April came together to form the IPT to discuss – Punjab Disappeared: On extra judicial executions and enforced disappearances during days of terrorism’ for two days starting today.Family members of about 400 affected families from Gurdaspur district participated and narrated their cases.

Activists of Punjab Documentation and Advocacy Project (PDAP), Human Rights Law Network, Committee for Co-ordination on Disappearances in Punjab, Lawyers for Human Rights International, Punjab Human Rights Organistion, Khalra Mission Organisation, Sikhs for Human Rights and others took part in the deliberations in April.

Over 8K people disappeared during 1980 till 1995 in Punjab: NGO – The Tribute

Over 8K people disappeared during 1980 till 1995 in Punjab: NGO

Members of the Punjab Documentation and Advocacy Project hold a press conference in Chandigarh on Saturday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Chandigarh, December 2

Punjab Documentation and Advocacy Project (PDAP), an NGO, on Saturday claimed that they have found over 8,000 people going “disappeared” during 1980 till 1995 in Punjab and demanded an independent judicial commission to probe the matter.

Satnam Singh Bains, representing PDAP, claimed that they have identified and documented hundreds of victims who were allegedly “cremated as unclaimed unidentified” and killed in “fake encounters”.

“In our seven-year long investigation, we have identified 8,257 persons from different sources who disappeared from 1980 to 1995 in Punjab,” he claimed.

Bains said the records pertaining to “disappeared” people were collected by visiting villages, meeting victims’ family members and also from media reports.

“The latest report is a further step in the long struggle by people of Punjab for justice and accountability for victims and for their kin,” Bains said.

Retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Suresh, who was also present, said, “people disappeared. They (their families) have the right to know why they disappeared. They have the right to know why human right violations took place.”      

People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) national convener Kavita Srivastava, while speaking on the occasion, sought formation of a judicial commission under retired sitting judge of the Supreme Court to probe the “disappearance” of the people.

Bains said they will soon move to the Supreme Court with the findings of their report and demand detailed investigation in the matter.

Have evidence of extra-judicial killings, claims advocacy group – The Tribune

Have evidence of extra-judicial killings, claims advocacy group

Says over 8,000 people disappeared during militancy

Have evidence of extra-judicial killings, claims advocacy group
Punjab Documentation and Advocacy Project barrister Satnam Singh Bains during a press conference in Chandigarh on Saturday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 2

Punjab Documentation and Advocacy Project (PDAP) will move the Supreme Court with what it claims is new information on 8,257 extra-judicial executions and enforced disappearances in Punjab during militancy (1980-1995).

The group, a part of The Independent People’s Tribunal (IPT), an outfit of human rights organisations, will also be asking the apex court to give a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to families of each of the persons who went missing.

Addressing the media here today, Justice Suresh (retired from the Bombay High Court); Satnam Singh Bains, human rights activist; Kavita Srivastava, national convener, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties; and Paramjit Kaur Khalra of Khalra Mission Organisation said they had collated compelling information of 8,257 cases of enforced disappearance and fake encounters, following a seven-year investigation.

Their report “Indentifying the Unidentified” reveals unknown, unclaimed and unidentified mass cremations, which they claim is verifiable evidence of the killings by the Punjab Police and security services across Punjab.

The initial investigation report was released by the group in Amritsar in April this year. A group of retired judges, lawyers and activists from across the country had then come and heard testimonies of 700 victim families. Their report also considers the recent failings of the National Human Rights Commission in the “Punjab mass cremations” case, based on the work of slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.

“We are continuing his work, which remains unfinished and presents only a partial picture of the actual number of extra-judicial killings. The evidence that we submit must be independently investigated for justice,” they demanded.

 

Business Standard – “‘Over 8K people disappeared during 1980 till 1995 in Punjab'”

Press Trust of India  |  Chandigarh December 2, 2017 20:20 IST

Read the original article here.

Punjab Documentation and Advocacy Project (PDAP), an NGO, today claimed that they have found over 8,000 people going “disappeared” during 1980 till 1995 in Punjab and demanded an independent judicial commission to probe the matter.

Satnam Singh Bains, representing PDAP, claimed that they have identified and documented hundreds of victims who were allegedly “cremated as unclaimed unidentified” and killed in “fake encounters”.

“In our seven-year long investigation, we have identified 8,257 persons from different sources who disappeared from 1980 to 1995 in Punjab,” he claimed.

Bains said the records pertaining to “disappeared” people were collected by visiting villages, meeting victims’ family members and also from media reports.

“The latest report is a further step in the long struggle by people of Punjab for justice and accountability for victims and for their kin,” Bains said.

Retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Suresh, who was also present, said, “people disappeared. They (their families) have the right to know why they disappeared. They have the right to know why human right violations took place.”

People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) national convener Kavita Srivastava, while speaking on the occasion, sought formation of a judicial commission under retired sitting judge of the Supreme Court to probe the “disappearance” of the people.

Bains said they will soon move to the Supreme Court with the findings of their report and demand detailed investigation in the matter.