CHANDIGARH, Punjab—More than eight thousand victim families, who lost their loved ones in extra-judicial killings carried out by the Punjab police during the late 80’s and early 90’s, have approached the Supreme Court of India through a human rights group named Punjab Documentation and Advocacy Project (PDAP). On behalf of these victim families, the PDAP has moved a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court demanding justice after a thorough investigation into these extra-judicial killings.
It is pertinent to note here that the PDAP has conducted a decade long investigation to identify victims of extra-judicial killings in 14 districts of Punjab. During this investigation, the PDAP identified 8257 victims who disappeared after being picked up by cops between 1984 and 1995.
PDAP member Advocate Satnam Singh Bains informed that proper evidences have been also enclosed with this PIL moved in the Supreme Court. “Not only Sikhs, but the families of other communities have been also covered who lost their loved ones in fake encounters,” he added.
“For the past three decades, the victim families were struggling for justice and accountability,” he said while adding that the PDAP uncovered compelling evidence of 6,140 illegal cremations by the Punjab police.
It also provided evidence of 1,400 encounter FIRs claiming that the victims were unidentified militants.
On July 7, the PDAP also screened a documentary named “Punjab Disappeared” uncovering the decade of enforced disappearances that took place in Punjab.
