[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 145 (Thursday, September 27, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ANOTHER POLICE MURDER BY POLICE IN INDIA

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 27, 2007

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, on September 22, the Tribune newspaper of 
Chandigarh reported that a Sikh woman by the name of Lakhbir Kaur held 
a press conference to expose the murder of her brother, Kinder Singh, 
by the Indian police. Kinder Singh was an innocent truck driver. He was 
killed in one of the fake encounters that continue to plague Punjab and 
other minority areas of India. Kinder Singh was just 20 years old when 
``the world's largest democracy'' snuffed out his life.
  Apparently, Kinder Singh was a victim of India's policy of paying 
bounties to police officers for killing ``militants.'' When he was 
killed, the police claimed that they had killed a man named Jaspal 
Singh, who had a bounty of Rs. 5 lakh, 500,000 rupees, or about 
$13,000, on his head. In a country where two-thirds of the populace 
lives on 40 cents per day, $13,000 is a massive amount of money.
  Jaspal Singh. the person who was allegedly killed in the encounter, 
sat right next to Ms. Kaur during her announcement. He is not the first 
person to have been proclaimed dead by the Indian government who has 
turned up alive. Several years ago, the New York Post reported on 
another man who had to sue the government to have himself declared 
alive. This is not uncommon in India.
  Also there was Colonel G.S. Sandhu of the Majha Ex-Servicemen Human 
Rights Front. He detailed how Kinder Singh was pulled out of his truck 
by the police and killed for no apparent reason except to collect the 
bounty. This is one of over 41,000 cash bounties that our State 
Department says the Indian Government paid to police for killing Sikhs. 
One policeman got a cash bounty for killing a three-year-old boy.
  Colonel Sandhu demanded that a retired High Court judge conduct a 
probe into the massive atrocities of the police. He has set up a 
hotline to report terrorist incidents. We salute Lakhbir Kaur for her 
courage and we salute Colonel Sandhu for his efforts. I second his call 
for an impartial probe of the atrocities committed in Punjab.
  Unfortunately, the repression is ongoing. Even today, people get 
arrested for acts such as marching, making speeches, and raising a 
flag. We cannot accept this, Madam Speaker. We need to stop providing 
financial support for the Indian regime by stopping our aid and trade, 
and we need to put the U.S. Congress on record in support of self-
determination for the Sikhs of Khalistan, the Christians of Nagalim, 
the Muslims of Kashmir, and all the oppressed minorities of South Asia. 
Until the people have their freedom and self-determination, atrocities 
like the one that happened to Lakhbir Kaur's family will sadly 
continue.
  I would like to place the Tribune article on Lakhbir Kaur into the 
Record at this time.

                  Mistaken Identity or Fake Encounter?

       Amritsar, September 21, 2007: In what could be yet another 
     case of mistaken identity or a planned fake encounter, the 
     sister of a victim here today claimed that the actual 
     ``militant'' the police claimed to have killed was still 
     alive.
       Lakhbir Kaur alleged that the police killed her brother, 
     Kinder Singh, who was an innocent truck driver, on August 13, 
     1993, for no reason. Interestingly, Jaspal Singh, who had an 
     award of Rs 5 lakh on his head and was shown killed in police 
     files, was still alive. He was present with Lakhbir Kaur here 
     today.
       Addressing a press conference, Col G.S. Sandhu, chairman of 
     the Majha ExServicemen Human Rights Front & NGO Aapna Punjab, 
     demanded a probe by a retired high court judge to bring out 
     the truth of fake encounters so that compensation could be 
     given to the families of the victims.
       ``Kinder Singh of Nagoke (20) was pulled out of a truck in 
     Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, and shot dead. The story planted 
     was that militant Jaspal Singh of Nangli, carrying a reward 
     of Rs 5 lakh, was shot in a police encounter. Kunan Singh, 
     father of Kinder Singh, sold his 3 acres of land and shifted 
     to UP and the family is now living in abject poverty,'' said 
     Colonel Sandhu.
       ``Already, leaks from police sources suggest that Kinder 
     Singh and Sukhpal Singh of Kala Afghana were killed as a 
     result of mistaken identity as no reward money was claimed 
     and the records being old have been destroyed as per laid 
     down rules and now it is difficult to pinpoint responsibility 
     at this stage. The issue is why the families of the two 
     victims were not informed about their deaths,'' he 
     questioned.
       Colonel Sandhu demanded ``the state should not shy away 
     from admitting past mistakes, render apology, provide 
     compensation and bring the guilty to the book.'' He also 
     sought downsizing of the top-heavy police in Punjab. He has 
     also started a terror help line in Tarn Taran.

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