Dear Saurabh,
In your news relating to compensation of Rs. 5 lakh given to the family of Shaheed Jaspal Singh, you referred to the protesters as “mobs.” To refresh your memory, Jaspal Singh was accompanying a completely peaceful protest to oppose the death sentence of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana. At no point were the protesters acting rowdy – and for you to label them as “mob” is disrespectful to the young Jaspal Singh who was wrongfully targeted by the police.
It’s a shame that you and the Tribune have published a biased publication yet again.
These people had merely congregated and were chanting peaceful religious slogans when the police opened fire on them. Do Sikhs have no right to congregate openly in India? If Jaspal Singh was accompanied by a mob, can you share what trouble they were causing by reciting “Satnam Waheguru”?
Please respect the deceased, who was killed by police and the Government that is terrorizing the people of the State for no reason.
Regards,
Jaspal Singh
Original news posted by the Tribune is available below –
More than a year after a youngster, Jaspal Singh, was killed after the police opened fire to disperse a protesting mob in Gurdaspur, a compensation of Rs 5 lakh has been given to his family. Another sum of Rs 2 lakh has been handed over to injured Ranjit Singh from the Chief Minister’s Fund. This was revealed as a petition filed in public interest on the issue came up for pronouncement this morning.
Disposing of the petition filed by NGO Lawyers for Human Rights International, a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashutosh Mohunta and Justice Harinder Singh Sidhu refused to express opinion on the status report submitted in the matter, which said bullets were fired in the air.
The development took place after Navkiran Singh disputed the conclusions made in the status report “that no bullet was fired by targeting anybody and bullets were fired only in the air”.Speaking for the Bench, Justice Sidhu said: “It is not for this court to opine on the merits of the conclusion reached in the status report. It has been settled by the Supreme Court in a large number of cases that once the final report under Section 173 of the CrPC is submitted in a competent court, the matter is to proceed further as per the procedure laid down in the CrPC.”
The mob was protesting against the impending execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana, assassin of Punjab’s former CM Beant Singh.The Bench asserted: “As per the procedure mandated by the SC, if the court of CJM, Gurdaspur, the competent court where the final report has been submitted, decides not to take cognisance of the offence and drop the proceedings, the concerned court must give notice to the informant and provide him an opportunity to be heard.”
It is very unfortunately that being india as democratic country sikhs are not treating as good as hindu majority ,if hindus have right to express their concerns then why not sikhs ,but it is veary said when ever sikhs raise their voice for justices and rights they have been pressed in this concern punjab police is playing vital role they are labeling innocent people as terrorists killing sikhs by making fake encounters even open fires on peaceful gatherings.Media should work on fact findings but unfortunately media is spreading news which has been providing by the police and other government agencies,this will lead restlessness in sikh community and it not good for the integrity of the country .
Media is a most powerful source…they can make country grow and peaceful.they should behave responsible before speaking or printing any word