Akal Takht's Jathedar seeks action against NCB officials in BSF jawan’s custodial death
Meets family of Jaswinder Singh, who died due to alleged torture while in the NCB custody, on March 21
Akal Takht’s acting Jathedar, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, on Sunday demanded strict action against officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with the alleged custodial death of a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan in Amritsar.
During his visit to Jammu, he met the family of Jaswinder Singh, a BSF jawan, who died due to alleged torture while in the NCB custody, on March 21. Expressing solidarity with the bereaved family, he assured that the community stood firmly with them in their pursuit of justice.
Gargajj urged the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Government to ensure justice in the case. He alleged that the victim was subjected to brutal torture, which led to his death, and claimed that the family had observed visible injury marks on body of the deceased.
“If deceased had committed any offence, the law should have taken its course. Custodial torture and killing cannot be justified under any circumstances,” he said.
Gargajj termed the incident “deeply unfortunate”, stating that even a soldier safeguarding the nation’s borders was not safe. Jaswinder Singh was taken into custody by the NCB near Billol Bridge of Miran Sahib on March 3.
It has been alleged that he was subjected to torture for nearly 17 days, which eventually led to his death. Posted at the Bangladesh border, he had come on leave to his house in Jammu when he was picked by the NCB.
He was being brought to Amritsar from Jammu when his health condition deteriorated. He was admitted to a private hospital here where he died on March 21. The incident had led to a strong protest by the family members and relatives of the jawan in Jammu which ultimately led to the registration of an FIR against NCB officials in Jammu.
On March 25, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) took a suo motu cognizance of the alleged custodial death. The commission sought detailed reports from the Zonal Director of the NCB, the District Magistrate and the Commissioner of Police, Amritsar. The commission specifically called for the judicial inquiry report, post-mortem findings along with videography, medical treatment records during custody, and the opinion of a board of doctors regarding the exact cause of death.
Additionally, the District and Sessions Judge, Amritsar, was requested to expedite submission of the inquest report.
