Cops not suspended, kin refuse to cremate body

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Thaska Ali, K’shtra, March 22

The family of late Sikh activist Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa on Thursday accused the district authorities of playing mischief with the circumstances leading to his death on Tuesday.

Khalsa had reportedly jumped off a water tank in Thaska Ali village of the district.

He was protesting for the release of Sikh political prisoners who have completed their sentence.

The police have booked unidentified police personnel on the charge of murder, whereas the family is demanding that they should have been booked for abetment to suicide.

Khalsa’s elder brother, Jarnail Singh, told The Tribune: “Nowhere in my complaint have I stated that Khalsa was killed. Still, the case was registered under the Section 302 of the IPC on Wednesday night. This has been done to make the case weak and protect erring police officials.”

During a dharna on Wednesday, Additional Deputy Commissioner Dharamvir Singh had accepted the demand for lodging a case of abetment of suicide and suspending erring cops. But the authorities have failed to fulfil its promise,” he said.

Agitated, the family refused to cremate the body. Khalsa’s father, Ajit Singh, said the family would not perform the last rites till their demand for suspension of erring policemen was not met.

“It is up to the ‘sangat’ to take a call on cremating the body. My son was holding a peaceful demonstration, but he died due to hasty police action,” he alleged.

Ajit Singh said the “bhog” ceremony would be observed at the historic Gurdwara Lakhnaur Sahib in Ambala on March 29.

Jarnail said several Panthic leaders from Punjab and Haryana had shown solidarity with the family. “Any further action will be undertaken with their consultation,” he added.

Superintendent of Police Abhishek Garg, meanwhile, said suspension of cops or any other action would depend on the investigation. “The probe will ascertain the circumstances that led to Khalsa’s death, he added.

“A water tank is not an authorised place to protest. Police personnel were trying to bring down Khalsa from the potential life-threatening spot. He jumped off the 80-ft tank when officials were trying to rescue him. Hence, this makes no case against cops on duty,” the SP added.