BARNALA, Punjab—Decades of police brutality and harassment have left sixty-one year old Kashmira Singh from Batala crippled and unable to walk. His wife Mohinder Kaur has become his full time carer – a whole family’s future destroyed by state inflicted terrorism.
Kashmira Singh’s younger life is littered with arrests and rearrests. It started back in 1987 when Maal Mandi police registered false charges against him which they could not make stick, so he had to be released. In 1989, CIA Batala arrested him again, but after a day’s interrogation, they too had to let him go. Finally in December 1995, DSP’s Mohinder Singh and Gian Singh raided the home of Kashmira Singh and forcefully detained him. For a whole 12 days and nights, Kashmira Singh was kept in police remand where the police officers used brutal methods of interrogation. On 24th December 1995 he was then produced before a district court judge and charged under the Arms & Explosives Act.
The late ‘80’s and 90’s set a dangerous precedent whereby the police arrested, tortured and killed innocent Sikh’s with full impunity. Many officers received medals, rewards and promotions for their ‘service’. Tens of thousands of lives were ruined and a whole generation of Sikh youth wiped out. Kashmira Singh is one of those brave souls, who is holding the State accountable for its actions. He has registered a criminal case against the police for the torture inflicted upon him and he is also suing for compensation for his life changing injuries and loss of earnings.
If you would like to contribute to Kashmira Singh’s fight against the criminal Punjab police, please visit: www.prisonerwelfare.org/
