Annexure 6a

Statements of Shri Boota Singh and Shri Sukhdev Singh. Dera Baba Nanak, Distt Gurdaspur: 6.5.1985

Statement of Shri Boota Singh son of Sardar Kesar Singh, aged 60 years, Village Pagthana Baardwaka:-

I am an agriculturist. Shri Ajit Singh is my son aged about 20-21 years. I have five sons. Three are married. Ajit Singh is youngest and unmarried. I have 4 daughters. 3 are married and 1 unmarried. My wife is also there in the family. My son untraceable since army action in Punjab. After 2/3 days of the army action in Punjab he went out and never returned. During curfew military used to threaten us but Panchayats used to approach military in our support. Due to interventions of Panchayats, we were not detained but used to be threatened. After curfew when military was withdrawn, Punjab police, BSF and CRP began to raid our house. About an half month back I was arrested by the Dera Baba Nanak police and was kept there for 10 days without being produced in the court, and then set free. I was severely beaten. After about 10 days, CIA Staff Gurdaspur took me away. They kept me there for 20 days. They ordered me to produce my son. They beat me and used abusive language. Then after 10/15 days they took my two sons to CIA Staff, and kept them in unlawful custody for one month. They were not produced before any magistrate. Then Panchayat went and got them released. Then after 15 days of their release, the CIA Staff Amritsar took me away and kept me for 18 days. I was released on the intervention of the Panchayat again. After 4 days the Dera Baba Nanak Police raided my house and arrested me. The ASP came and I was released on the same day i.e. yesterday. Meanwhile my two sons were arrested and kept for 10 days, and one son was released only 3 days back. My another son Shri Pritam Singh is still in custody. We are very much harassed. We have no desire to live. About 100 persons suddenly raid our house in the night and pounce upon our asleep sisters and ladies. We are not even allowed to harvest. Death is better than life.

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Statement of Sardar Sukhdev Singh, Sarpanch of Village Harewal, PSS Dera Baba Nanak, aged about 35 years. Agriculturist. Have about 35 Kila lands. (He had come to Dera Baba Nanak to secure release of some residents of his village along with other Sarpanchs of other villages who had also come to secure release of the residents of their villages.)

This time Shri Jagir Singh, son of Saheb Singh aged 65 years and Shri Jagir Singh son of Shri Dalip Singh aged 50 years of my village are in unlawful custody since 4 days. There are about 20 persons in Dera Baba Nanak, aged about 35 years. Agriculturist. Have about police station is a Hindu. Police do not give food to the arrested persons and we have to supply them food. I have come for their release.

Since about 2 months they are arresting persons daily. Interrogation Staff, CIA Amritsar took four persons of my village Haruwal to Amritsar four days back. I am Sarpanch and I have daily to go to the police station for the release of innocent persons. I have no other work except to attend to the woes and requests of the families of the innocent persons arrested by the police. I am daily busy in this work since 7 a.m. in the morning to late night. I feel very much harassed and have no desire to live. Either I want to run away from this place or want to die. Death is better than this sort of situation and harassment.

SP Wirdhi of Gurdaspur is a Hindu. ASP Batala, Shri Suresh Arora is a Hindu. DIG is also Hindu.

Recently Inspector Kirpal Singh of BSF came here on leave in my village and was arrested by the police. When I went to the police station for release of S. Kirpal Singh, the SHO threatened that I would also be arrested. S. Kirpal Singh was released only after insulting him badly.