AMBALA, Haryana, India—Following prolonged detention of prominent Sikh journalist Surinder Singh in Ambala (Haryana), social media activists will be campaigning for his release. Surinder Singh surrendered in November 2015 in a 27 year old case. The hashtag #FreeSurinder will be used on February 21 to raise awareness of his case.
Surinder Singh is currently being held at the Ambala Central Jail and a court hearing is expected to take place later on February 23. After his arrest on October 21, Surinder Singh was presented in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Kumar who did not take any decision on the bail application. The 27 year old case dates back to June 1988 when Surinder Singh was affiliated with the Sikh Student Federation.
Surinder Singh’s name was included in the FIR, along with that of other Sikh Student Federation members. While others have been acquitted, the charge sheet has remained active. He was under the radar of the Punjab Government due to his involvement in promoting Punjab and Sikh issues through mainstream journalism. He was detained in February 2015 along with Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s son – Ravinder Jeet Singh Gogi but later released due to international pressure.
Even though the statute of ‘Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act’ (TADA) has expired, it has apparently been used against Surinder Singh. Surinder Singh was earlier detained in Punjab, however later transferred to Haryana.
Please release him