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PETITIONER: MRS. PARAMJIT KAUR

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: STATE OF PUNJAB AND ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT15/11/1995

BENCH: KULDIP SINGH (J) BENCH: KULDIP SINGH (J) AHMAD SAGHIR S. (J)

CITATION:  1996 SCC  (7)  20        JT 1995 (8)   418  1995 SCALE  (6)376

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT:                       O R D E R      A telegram  was received at the residence office of one of us  (Kuldip Singh,  J.). This Court on September 11, 1995 passed the following order:      "The telegram  in hand has been received      at the  residence office  of one  of  us      (Kuldip Singh,  J.). The  sender of  the      telegram is  Mr. Gurcharan  Singh Tohra.      It is stated in the telegram that Sardar      Jaswant Singh  khalra, General Secretary      Human Rights Wing of Shiromani Akali Dal      has been  kidnapped by  the  police.  We      treat this  telegram as  a Habeas Corpus      Petition and  issue notice  to the  Home      Secretary, Punjab,  Director General  of      Police,   Punjab,    and   the    Senior      Superintendent   of   Police,   Amritsar      returnable within  one week.  Mr.  Sodhi      who is  present in  Court states that he      has also  filed a petition in this Court      in this  respect. He undertakes to serve      the  respondents  by  dasti  process  in      addition. The  Registry to  serve  these      respondents by Telex/Telephone or fax."      Meanwhile Mrs.  Paramjit Kaur  wife  of  Jaswant  Singh Khalra also  filed  a  petition  under  Article  32  of  the Constitution of  India seeking  direction in  the nature  of habeas corpus.      It is alleged in the petition that on September 6, 1995 at about  9.20 A.M.  while Petitioner’s  husband J.S. Khalra was washing  his car  outside the gate of House No. 8, Kabir Park, Amritsar,  a  Maruti  Van,  sky  blue  colour  bearing Registration No.  BBN-5969, came  and stopped  close to  the place  where   Mr.  Khalra   was  working.   Four  uniformed policeman, with  black head dresses (Patkas), and armed with

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automatic weapon,  jumped out  of Van. They had walky-talkey instruments with  them. They  pointed the weapons at Khalra, mishandled him  despite his protests and pushed him into the Van from  the rear. It is further alleged that the policemen informed through  walky-talkey to  some one presumably their superior that  Khalra had  been taken  into custody  and the job/mission was  a success.  The Van was followed by an open police  Gypsy   wherein  4/5  policemen,  fully  armed  were standing and  an officer  was sitting in the front seat. The Gypsy gave  cover to the Maruti Van. It is, thus, alleged in the petition  that Khalra  was kidnapped  by some persons in police uniforms at 9.20 A.M. from a busy residential area of Amritsar.      It is  stated in the petition that Rajeev Singh, Son of Shri Parkash  Singh, who  was present close by witnessed the kidnapping. He even tried to intervene but was pushed aside. He managed  to overhear the conversation on walky-talkey and also noted the number of Maruti Van in which Khalra had been taken. It is further stated that the kidnaping was witnessed by a  large number  of neighbours and other persons since it was broad  day light  (9.20 A.M.) when people were on way to their normal vocations. The petitioner states that while she was going  to the  university, where  she  works,  she  also noticed the Gypsy with the police personnel and she would be in a  position to  recognise some of the persons standing in the Gypsy.      The petition  further states  that the petitioner along with friends and relatives went to Police Station Islamabad, sent telegrams  to the Chief Justice of India, Chief Justice of Punjab  and  Haryana  High  Court,  Director  General  of Police, Punjab  and various  other authorities. It is stated that they  also met  Mr. D.R.  Bhatti, Inspector  General of Police. Para 19 of the writ petition is as under:      "The petitioner firmly believes that her      husband  has   been  picked  up  at  the      instance of Ajit Singh Sandhu, SSP, Tarn      Taran  Police   District,  who   has  on      various occasions  being threatening the      petitioner’s    husband     with    dire      consequences if  he  did  not  influence      and/or play  an active  role in  getting      the  writ  petitions  withdrawn  wherein      police accesses,  custodial  deaths  and      police kidnapping were pending enquiries      before the  High  Court  and  which  Mr.      Sandhu felt,  have been initiated at the      instance of Mr. J.S. Khalra. This aspect      of the matter has been widely covered in      various    press     conferences     and      newsitems."      Counter affidavit  has been  filed by Mr. Sukhdev Singh Chhina, Superintendent  of  Police,  City  Amritsar.  It  is stated by  Mr. Chhina  that "a perusal of the police records shows that Shri Jaswant Singh Khalra ..... is neither wanted nor arrested by Amritsar Police in any criminal Case". It is further stated that investigations are currently in progress and all  out efforts  are being  made to trace Jaswant Singh Khalra. The  details of  the efforts  made by the police are given in  paras 5  and 6 of the counter. The counter further stated as under:      "Sh.  Ajit  Singh  Sandhu,  PPS,  Senior      Superintendent of  Police,  Tarn  Taran,      was made  to join  the investigation  on      23.9.95 with the object of varifying the      allegations regarding his involvement in

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    the abduction.  According to Sh. Sandhu,      he was  on leave  w.e.f.  05.09.95.  Sh.      Sandhu has stated under oath that he did      not threaten the petitioner’s husband at      any time  nor did he ever influence Shri      Khalra, directly  or indirectly, for the      withdrawal of  writ petitions etc. Which      were pending  before the  High Court for      the  States   of  Punjab   and  Haryana,      concerning  police  excesses,  custodial      deaths  and   police  kidnappings.   Sh.      Sandhu also  stated that  Sh. Khalra  is      not a  witness against  him in any court      case."      Mr. Ajit Singh Sandhu, Senior Superintendent of Police, Tarn Taran has also filed affidavit. Para 2 of the affidavit is as under:      "That I  have gone  through the contents      of the above mentioned writ petition and      I state that the facts mentioned in Para      No.19 of the petition are not correct. I      never   threatened    the   petitioner’s      husband at  any  time  nor  did  I  ever      influenced him  directly  or  indirectly      for the  withdrawal of the writ petition      etc. Which were pending enquiries before      the Hon’ble High Court for the States of      Punjab  and  Haryana  concerning  police      excesses, custodial  deaths  and  police      kidnappings."      The petitioner filed further affidavit dated October 9, 1995 by  way of rejoinder. Paras 4 to 7 of the rejoinder are as under:      "It is incorrect to say that my husband,      Mr. Khalra,  had no  apprehension of his      safety prior  to his  being  taken  into      custody by  mavericks of  Punjab Police.      On  the   contrary,   my   husband   had      apprehensions that  the SSP  Tarn Taran,      Ajit Singh Sandhu, positively threatened      my husband  which is  borne out  from  a      horde  of   Press  clippings   as   also      affidavits   which   are   being   filed      herewith. Affidavits of Nav Kiran Singh,      advocate,   Gurcharan    Singh    Tohra,      President   SGPC,    Ranjan   Lakhanpal,      advocate, as  also Jaspal  Singh Dhillon      are being  filed and  annexed hereto and      marked as Annexure ‘P-1’ (Colly).           Annexure ‘P-2’ (Colly.) are various      reports  of   the  Human   Rights  Wing,      Shiromani  Akali   Dal,  State  how  the      Punjab  Police  and  in  particular  the      police of  Tarn Taran  District has been      indicted for  their  excesses  in  extra      judicial murders.           Annexure  ‘P-3’  (Colly.)  are  the      copies of  Press Reports on the excesses      of the  Punjab Police  and in particular      that of  Tarn Taran  police and Mr. Ajit      Singh Sandhu, respondent herein.           I   say   that   my   husband   was      continuously exposing the black deeds of      the Punjab  Police  which  was  a  great      irritant to  them and  more particularly

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    to the  Tarn Taran Police headed by Ajit      Singh Sandhu,  SSP and, therefore, it is      wrong to  say that there was no occasion      for Mr. Sandhu to feel annoyed." Mr. Navkiran Singh, advocate in his affidavit supporting the petitioner has stated as under:      "Mr. Ajit  Singh Sandhu  was transferred      back to  the area  of Tarn  Taran as the      SSP as  it  was  in  his  time  and  the      families of  Militants were wiped out in      Extra Judicial  killings. Mr. Khalra had      informed me  that Mr.  Ajit Singh Sandhu      was sending threatening messages to him.      The  Tarn  Taran  police  was  specially      annoyed for  his  reports  of  Unclaimed      bodies which  had created  a flutter  in      the police  circles and  which  prompted      the State  to post  back Mr. Sandhu back      to Tarn Taran so that he could influence      the witnesses  for not  to appear  as  a      witness in  the enquiries  pending  with      the CBI  and  before  Session  Judge  at      Amritsar.      Mr. Khalra  after his  visit abroad  had      started    giving     press     releases      highlighting the police excesses of Tarn      Taran Police  the present  SSP Mr.  Ajit      Singh Sandhu  also joined the issue with      him  and  held  a  press  conference  in      retaliation. Mr.  Khalra came  to me  to      Chandigarh  and   showed  me  the  press      release  and   also  discussed  with  me      regarding filing  of a  petition in High      Court for issuance of a direction to the      State to provide security to him, but he      was double  minded for  the reason  that      his  asking   for  security   might  not      demoralise   the    victims.   It    was      personally reported by him to me and his      other colleagues  and he apprehends harm      at the hands of Ajit Singh Sandhu." Mr. Gurcharan  Singh Tohra,  President,  Shiromani  Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee,  Amritsar in  his affidavit supporting the petitioner has stated as under:      "That Sh.  Jaswant  Singh  Khalra  is  a      General Secretary  of Human  rights Wing      of Shiromani Akali Dal and he has played      a major role in the investigation of the      ‘Unclaimed Deadbodies’  as  compiled  by      the Human Rights Wings in its reports.           That  the   Police  Officers   were      annoyed with  the office  bearers of the      Human Rights  Wing for its Investigation      of the Unclaimed deadbodies and issuance      of the  reports in  the cases  of police      excesses. Mr.  Khalra used  to encourage      the victims  of State  excesses to  file      petitions in  the High Court and Supreme      Court. Several  of such  petitions,  are      pending in the High Court in which there      are serious allegations against the Tarn      Taran Police  and most of these excesses      were committed  by the Tarn Taran police      under the  command  or  Mr.  Ajit  Singh      Sandhu, SSP.

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         That Sh.  Ajit Singh Sandhu, Senior      Superintendent of  Police,  Tarn  Taran,      had  extended  threats  to  Sh.  Jaswant      Singh Khalra,  General  Secretary  Human      Rights Wing  to stop  his activities  in      playing a  role in  exposing the  police      irregularities.... Our  party  has  full      apprehension that Sh. Ajit Singh Sandhu,      Senior Superintendent  of  Police,  Tarn      Taran District  has abducted Sh. Jaswant      Singh Khalra,  General  Secretary  Human      rights Wing." The affidavits  filed by  Mr. Ranjan Lakhanpal, advocate and Shri Jaspal  Singh Dhillon  supporting the petitioner are in similar  terms.   Rajeev  Singh  has  also  filed  affidavit supporting the petition.      Copy of the Press Note dated January 16, 1995 issued by the Human  Rights Wing  of the Shiromani Akali Dal under the signatures of  Khalra and  J.S. Dhillon  under  the  Caption "DISAPPEARED." CREMATION  GROUNDS." has  been annexed  along with the  rejoinder. The contents of the Press note appeared in various  newspapers. Photocopies of the newspaper reports have also  been annexed  with the  rejoinder. The Press Note dated January 16, 1995., inter alia, states as under:      "The investigation  team decided to work      in   the    Amritsar   area    and   its      neiginbouring police  districts. It  was      learnt that  the police  regularly bring      bodies  to  the  municipality  cremation      grounds for cremation, declaring them as      unclaimed.  The   team  found  that  400      unclaimed bodies  had been  brought  for      cremation  to   the  Patti  municipality      cremation grounds. Bodies brought to the      Patti municipality  committees cremation      grounds came  from as  far as  Khalra 40      Kms.  Kairon  10  Kms,  Harika  15  kms,      Valtoha  30   kms,  Bhiki  25  kms.  700      unclaimed  bodies   to  the  Tarn  Taran      municipality  creamation   grounds.  The      only record of these unclaimed bodies is      available from  the receipt book through      which  firewood   was  issued   for  the      disposal of the bodies. The receipt book      has  the   date  and  number  of  bodies      brought recorded on it.           In Amritsar  district  the  maximum      unclaimed bodies  brought for  cremation      was to  the cremation  grounds near  the      Durgiana mandir.  From 1st  June 1984 to      the end  of 1994  about 2000 bodies have      been   cremated    as   unclaimed.   The      officials   of   the   Durgiana   Mandir      cremation   grounds    expressed   their      inability  to   show  any  records,  but      suggested that details will be available      with the  Amritsar Registrar  of  Births      and Deaths.  The details  which could be      gathered at  the Registrar’s  office are      given below.           During the 1st year of the govt. of      Mr. Beant  Singh  300  unclaimed  bodies      were  brought  to  the  Durgiana  Mandir      cremation   grounds    by   the   police      department.  Out  of  these  300  bodies

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    names of  112 have  been given  and  the      rest were  declared as  unidentified. 41      persons have  been recorded to have died      of bullet injuries of police encounters.      No reason  has  been  recorded  for  the      cause of  the death of 259 persons. Post      mortems were conducted only on 24 bodies      by the Amritsar Medical College. No post      mortem was  conducted on  276 bodies.  5      bodies of  females, as  per the  record,      out  of  which  names  of  3  have  been      recorded. The  details of  the 3  female      bodies are:  Harpal  Kaur  Vill.  Dhulka      Dated 25.12.92.  Achint Kaur & companion      Dated 30.9.92.           Two  bodies   are   of   those   of      Kashmiris of  Sopore,  cause  of  death,      "encounter". One unclaimed body is from,      near Chamkaur Saheb, in Ropar District.           Bhagel Singh alias Gurdarshan Singh      of village  Deriwal was  nabbed  by  the      Punjab police  in  Bihar.  News  of  his      "arrest"  was  reported  in  the  Punjab      press. Various  organisations in  Punjab      apprehended him  being eliminated  in  a      fake encounter. This was around the last      week of  Nov/first week  of Dec./91.  On      the 19.1.1992  the police  knowing fully      well the  identity of  Baghel Singh  and      his village,  brought his  body  to  the      Durgiana Mandir  cremation  grounds  for      cremation as unidentified and unclaimed.           Mr. Piara Singh S/o Shingara Singh,      Director of  Central Cooperative Bank in      Amritsar, paternal  uncle  of  Harminder      Singh Sultanvind  (Militant), Mr.  Piara      Singh had  gone to  a relatives  farm in      Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. One morning a      jeep drove  up to the farm house, a team      of  doctors  attired  in  white  coasts,      sporting  stethoscopes   approached  the      residents of  the farm  requesting  them      that   a   VIP   was   coming   to   the      neighbouring  village  to  inaugurate  a      govt.   medical    clinic    and    some      respectable citizens  should also  grace      the occasion.  They requested  Mr. Piara      Singh to come with them. Mr. Piara Singh      ended  up   at   the   Durgiana   Mandir      cremation ground on 16.12.92.           Mr. Pargat Singh ‘Bullet’ was under      going  treatment   at  the   Guru  Nanak      Hospital Amritsar he was abducted by the      Raja Sansi police and his "unidentified"      body was  bought to  the Durgiana Mandir      cremation grounds on 5.11.92." It is  stated in  the Press-note that the facts therein were investigated by Khalra and J.S. Dhillon.      On October  13, 1995  Mr. M.L. Sarin, learned Advocate- General  for   the  State  of  Punjab  stated  that  he  was personally looking  into the  investigation in  the case. He sought  short  adjournment.  We  adjourned  the  hearing  to November 10, 1995.      Mr. Sukhdev  Singh Chhinna,  Superintendent of  Police, City Amritsar  has filed  further affidavit. The contents of

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the affidavit are as under:      "That  in   the  matter   of  the  above      mentioned writ  petition,  I  have  made      thorough  investigations  regarding  the      police  officials   whose   names   were      referred to  by Mr. R.S. Sodhi, Advocate      counsel  for   the  petitioner.  I  have      checked the  Telephone Computer Records,      Log  Books  of  Vehicles,  Wireless  Log      Books, Roznamchas of Police Stations and      other relevant  records,  pertaining  to      these officials.  I have  also  examined      and recorded the statements of more than      sixty  five   witnesses  to  verify  and      account  for   the  presence   of  these      officials at the time of occurrence i.e.      on 6.9.1995.           That on the basis of the record and      the statements of the witnesses referred      to  above  no  inference  can  be  drawn      against the  said officials  which could      implicate them  anyway in  the matter of      the disappearance  of Sh.  Jaswant Singh      Khalra.           That  the  deponent  contacted  the      petitioner on  7.9.95, 22.9.95, 17.10.95      & 27.10.95  but she refused to cooperate      and stated  that she  would do  so  only      after consulting  her counsel  Mr.  R.S.      Sodhi.           That investigations  are  going  on      and are  being monitored  by  the  State      Police Head Quarters.           That all out efforts are being made      to trace the whereabouts of Shri Jaswant      Singh Khalra and to work out this case." The petitioner  has filed  further affidavit  dated November 10. 1995. Paras 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 are as under:      "I say  that in spite of giving names of      the officers,  who were  involved in the      kidnapping of  my  husband,  my  husband      still remains in illegal custody. Expect      for  asking   me  whether   I  have  got      anything more  to say,  I have  not been      asked to  help the  investigation in any      manner.           I say  that my  husband had  been a      staunch crusader of human rights and had      made   startling    discoveries    about      thousands  of   persons   who,   it   is      believed, were  liquidated by the Punjab      Police and  their bodies  disposed of as      unclaimed/unidentified between  1992-94.      They  were  also  able  to  obtain  with      difficulty   records    pertaining    to      cremation grounds at Durgiana Mandir and      Patti Municipal Cremation Grounds.           That the  Durgiana  Mandir  records      show  that   the  police   has  cremated      unclaimed/unidentified   bodies    whose      names, addresses  and identification was      very much know.           I say that during the course of his      investigation, Mr.  Jaswant Singh Khalra      also met  a lot of people who complained

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    about  members  of  their  family  being      missing for  varying  lengths  of  time;      some for several years. A rough estimate      revealed that the number of such missing      persons in  Amritsar District  along was      not less than 2,000.           Mr. Ajit  Singh  Sandhu,  the  SSP,      Tarn Taran Police District, came to know      these   activities    of   Mr.   Jaswant      Presumably  fearing   that  his  illegal      actions would  be brought  to light,  he      threatened   Mr.   Khalra   on   several      occasions. On  one particular  occasion,      Mr. Sandhu  even told Mr. Khalra that if      he did not desist from his activities he      would   wind   up   on   the   list   of      unclaimed/unidentified  bodies  cremated      by the Punjab Police.           I  say  that  Mr.  Khalra  met  Mr.      Gurcharan   Singh    Tohra,   President,      Shiromani Gurdwara  Prabandhak Committee      (in  short   SGPC)  shortly  before  his      disappearance. He  also met Justice Ajit      Singh Bains, a retired Judge of the High      Court of  Punjab &  Haryana at  the same      time. To  both these persons, Mr. Khalra      revealed the  threats held out to him by      Mr. Ajit  Singh Sandhu,  the SSP of Tarn      Taran.  A  petition  seeking  protection      from the  said Shri Ajit Singh was under      consideration/preparation  on  the  date      that Mr. Khalra disappeared, i.e. on 6th      September,  1995.  Affidavits  affirming      these facts  have been filed by both Mr.      Gurcharan Singh  Tohra and  Justice Ajit      Singh  Bains   in  the   Criminal   Writ      Petition  No.   447   of   1995.   These      affidavits as  well as  others filed  in      the said  writ petition  make  it  clear      that Mr.  Ajit Singh Sandhu has held out      similar threats  to the other members of      the team  who investigated the cremation      grounds report.           A photo  copy of  the list of those      cremated  as  unclaimed/unidentified  is      annexed hereto  and marked  as  Annexure      ‘p.1’". Along with  the affidavit  an alleged list of persons/bodies which were  allegedly unclaimed  and unidentified and stated to be cremated is given.      Mr. M.L.  Sareen, learned  Advocate-General, Punjab has very  fairly   stated  that  keeping  in  view  the  serious allegations  levelled   by  the   petitioner   against   the officers/officials of  the Punjab Police, it would be in the interest of justice that the investigation in this matter be handed over  to an independent authority. Even otherwise, in order to  instil confidence  in the  public-mind and  to  do justice to  the petitioner and his family it would be proper to withdraw  the investigation  from Punjab  Police in  this case. We,  therefore, direct the Director, Central Bureau of Investigation to  appoint an  investigation team headed by a responsible officer  to hold investigation in the kidnapping and whereabouts  of Khalra.  We further  direct the Director General of  Police,  Punjab,  all  concerned  Punjab  Police Officers, Home  Secretary  and  Chief  Secretary  Punjab  to

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render  all   assistance  and   help  to   the  CBI  in  the investigation.      The  second  issue  highlighted  in  this  petition  is equally important.  This Court  cannot close its eyes to the contents of  the Press Note dated January 16, 1995 stated to be investigated  by Khalra  and Dhillon. In case it is found that the  facts stated  in the Press Note are correct - even partially  -   it  would   be  a  gorytale  of  Human-rights violations. It  is horrifying  to visualize that dead-bodies of large  number of persons - allegedly thousands - could be cremated by  the  police  unceremoniously  with  a  label  " unidentified". Our  faith  in  democracy  and  rule  of  law assures us  that nothing of the type can ever happen in this country but  the allegations  in the Press-Note - horrendous as they  are -  need thorough  investigation. We, therefore, direct the  Director, Central  Bureau  of  Investigation  to appoint a  high powered  team to  investigate into the facts contained in  the Press  Note dated  January  16,  1995.  We direct all  the concerned authorities of the State of Punjab including the  Director General  of Police, Punjab to render all  assistance   to  the  CBI  in  the  investigation.  All authorities of  the Punjab  Government shall render all help and assistance  to the  CBI team  as and  when asked  by any member of  the said team. We give liberty to the CBI to seek any further  directions from this Court from time to time as may be necessary during the investigations.      The CBI  shall  complete  the  investigation  regarding kidnapping of  KHalra within  three months of the receipt of this order.  So far as the second investigation in concerned we do  not fix  any time  limit but  direct the  CBI to file interim reports  regarding the  investigation in  this Court after every three months.      We further  direct the  State of  Punjab  through  Home Secretary and the Director General of Police to transfer Mr. Ajit Singh  Sandhu, S.S.P.,  Tarn Taran out of the Districts of Tarn  Taran and  Amritsar. He  shall not be posted in any adjoining District.      Copy of  the order  be sent  to CBI,  Director General, Punjab. Home Secretary, Punjab and Chief Secretary, Punjab.      To be listed after three months.