Widow of Jaswant Singh Khalra, the prominent human rights activist who was killed during the peak of insurgency, has urged the Akal Takht Jathedar at Harike Pattan to constitute a People's Commission to establish the actual number of enforced disappearances, unidentified bodies, and those killed in alleged fake police encounters in Punjab.
In a post on X, Paramjit Kaur urged Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj to lead an impartial effort to uncover the truth about the alleged human rights violations during the 1980s and 1990s.
She referred to the 1984 military action at the Golden Temple, the November 1984 anti-Sikh violence, and the years of militancy, and urged the Akal Takht to constitute a formal investigating body. She said the issues of unidentified bodies, fake encounters, and torture still await justice and accountability.
She accused successive governments at the Centre and in the state of failing to deliver justice to the victims, adding that both the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal failed to ensure accountability in these cases.
She further alleged that the present Aam Aadmi Party government has failed to bring convicted police personnel to justice, while also accusing the BJP-led Union government over reported targeted killings abroad.
The legal battle has taken a new turn, with multiple witnesses claiming they were repeatedly threatened and intimidated during the court proceedings. The case has once again gained traction after the controversy surrounding Satluj, a movie based on Khalra's life and struggle.
Several witnesses and supporters of the Khalra family allegedly faced threats, while some were implicated in criminal cases over the years, including charges of reviving terrorism and even rape.
Many of these cases ultimately failed and were quashed by investigative agencies or respective courts, leading to the acquittal of those who had been arrested under alleged false and misleading charges.
Also read: Has ‘Satluj’ really been banned or is it being promoted?
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