Punjab and Haryana High Court notice on plea over memorial fund in Saunders’ name

Chandigarh, May 4

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the State of Haryana on a petition filed by a law student stating that honouring JP Saunders and head constable Chanan Singh by retaining a memorial fund in their name was derogatory.

In his petition placed before the Bench of Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Vikas Suri, student Raywant Kaushish was seeking directions to the state and other respondents to remove the provisions in the Punjab Police Rules on the ground of being “derogatory to the freedom fighters who laid down their lives for freedom of the country”.

Kaushish referred to a book describing the post-assassination scene of Saunders, the then Assistant Superintendent of Police, Lahore. He submitted head constable Chanan Singh was shot in his thigh by freedom fighter Chander Shekhar Azad as a last resort when he was on the verge of capturing freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. After warning him several times, Azad aimed at Charan Singh’s thigh to avoid killing a fellow countryman. Chanan Singh died, not of the bullet injury, but haemorrhage, as he was left unattended as the others were busy attending to the injured Saunders.

“In case, head constable Chanan Singh had successfully captured Sardar Bhagat Singh, he would not have been able to go for bigger missions in the future like throwing the ‘empty bombs’ in the Assembly hall and the Independence movement would not have gained momentum. Thus, honouring head constable Chanan Singh and JP Saunders by retaining the provisions of memorial fund in their name is derogatory. Rather, Chander Shekhar Azad deserves to be honoured…,” he added.

Petitioner refers to a book

The petitioner referred to a book describing the post-assassination scene of Saunders, the then Assistant Superintendent of Police, Lahore. He submitted head constable Chanan Singh was shot in his thigh by freedom fighter Chander Shekhar Azad as a last resort when he was on the verge of capturing Bhagat Singh