1984 key witness Giani Surinder Singh illegally detained at Delhi airport

CALIFORNIA/NEW DELHI: Exposing for the benefit of the entire world the shallowness of the Indian Government�s claims that it wanted the law to take its course as far as the guilty of the anti-Sikh genocide of 1984 were concerned, a key witness of the genocide, Giani Surinder Singh, whom the CBI had questioned in the United States, was illegally detained, harassed and accused of speaking against the Indian government when he arrived at the Delhi airport from the United States.



Giani Surinder Singh is a prime witness against powerful Congress politician Jagdish Tytler, widely known for having led blood thirsty mobs and directly found involved in killing and burning of Sikhs in 1984 by one after the other Commission of Inquiry set up by the Govt of India.



The Case



In November 1984, Giani Surinder Singh was at the Pul Bangash Gurdwara in Delhi where he witnessed Jagdish Tytler ordering the killings of Sikhs. As a result of instigation and orders of Jagdish Tytler, three Sikhs, namely, Bhai Badal Singh Raagi of the Gurdwara, Thakur Singh, a retired police inspector and Amarjit Singh Bedi�s servant were killed. On the instigation of Jagdish Tytler, Gurdwara Pul Bangash was also set on fire and 36 copies of Guru Granth Sahib were burnt to ashes.

After his statement to the CBI in India, Giani Surinder Singh had said he was receiving threatening and harassing calls and messages and had then come to the United States. After this, his wife and daughters were harassed back home and his house No. 9, 10 New Block Aruna Nagar, New Delhi was seized by men backed by Jagdish Tytler and his wife and daughters thrown out of the house. Police had even threatened to put his wife behind bars, Giani Surinder Singh alleged. After this the CBI asked him to give a statement about the November 1984 events before the CBI officers on December 23 and December 24, 2009 in New York, USA. �I appeared before the CBI on said dates and was subjected to interview which lasted for more than fourteen hours over a period of two days�the CBI officers time and again assured me that there is no threat to my life and security in India�I was further assured that Govt of India will take the responsibility of my safety in India and � my return to India will help the Government in charging those guilty of November 1984 Sikh massacre.�

He said his illegal detention happened when he did return after all of this.



After the CBI tried to give Jagdish Tytler a clean chit but was caught red handed by alert sections of the media who tracked down witnesses that the CBI said were simply not traceable, Giani Surinder Singh was one of the bravehearts who came forward and once again stuck to his grounds that he did see Tytler himself leading, egging on the bloody crowds against the Sikhs.



After much hesitation, and with egg on face, the CBI sleuths were forced to travel to the US to record the testimony of Giani Surinder Singh on February 21, 2008 but their behaviour left much to be desired. When indications again emerged recently that the CBI was once again in the process of filing a closure report in the probe against Tytler on February 28 at the Karkar Duma courts in Delhi, Giani Surinder Singh decided to go to India and record his statement in the court of Judge Sanjeev Jain.



When, on February 23, he arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on a direct flight from USA, travelling on his Indian passport number Z1430281, he was detained by the Indian officials for several hours, was continually questioned in an intimidating manner, and was harassed by the detaining officers.



His passport was then confiscated, and he was told that he has �misused my Indian Passport by travelling abroad and speaking against the interest of Indian Government while travelling on its passport.�



Giani Surinder Singh said he was also forced to sign some papers and was directed to keep quiet and remain cautious. Only after such treatment was he allowed to leave the airport. Giani Surinder Singh has now demanded security and said there was a clear threat to his life. He also requested the court to record his statement immediately.



CBI seeks month to complete Tytler probe



New Delhi: The CBI told a court here that investigations into Jagdish Tytler\'s role in the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide would be complete within a month. It said it had already examined 10 witnesses and final report will be submitted by March 28. Senior counsel for Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee H.S. Phoolka, however, expressed concern over the delay and pleaded before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rakesh Pandit to direct the agency to expedite the inquiry .



Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to Sikhs for Justice, a US-based Human Rights organisation, has denounced the treatment meted out to Giani Surinder Singh.



Giani Surinder Singh decided to visit India personally to record the statement after the recent death of Gurcharan Singh Rishi who remained bed ridden for 25 long years after being thrown into a burning truck during the �84 Sikh genocide and died on February 17 but without the opportunity to record his statement against another influential Congress leader Sajjan Kumar who also was involved in killings of Sikhs.



He said he does not want to die before seeing men like Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler paying for their crimes.



Karnail Singh Peermohammed , President of a faction of the AISSF, condemned the illegal detention of Giani Surinder Singh and said he will soon file a petition in the Supreme Court to probe this matter and demanded that the officials involved be suspended with immediate affect.




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