17 February, 2023 – Chandigarh : Nine of the 21 “Bandi Singhs”, whose release is being sought by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha on the Mohali-Chandigarh border, have been getting regular parole for the past six to 10 years.

As the atmosphere often gets tense at the dharna site due to the alleged presence of radicals, the security agencies are looking at political intervention to prevent major violence. With farm unions coming out in support of the morcha, the number of people at the protest venue has swelled.

On January 18, SGPC chief HS Dhami’s vehicle was attacked by the protesters as he was leaving the dharna and on February 8, around 40 personnel of the Chandigarh and the Punjab Police were injured in a violent clash with members of the morcha.

When the first dharna took place in November 2013 in Mohali, the list had names of 119 “Bandi Singhs”. Activist Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa sat on a 44-day hunger strike at Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali.

Later, activist Surat Singh Khalsa also started a hunger strike in Ludhiana on the same issue. Since then, many of those on the list were released on the completion of their sentence or prematurely.

The case of 21 “Bandi Singhs”, including Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar, Gurdeep Singh Khera, Lakhwinder Singh Lakha, Gurmeet Singh, alias Meeta Engineer, Shamsher Singh, Paramjit Singh Bheora, Balwant Singh Rajoana, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Jagtar Singh, alias Tara, has become a bone of contention.

Among them, Bhullar, Khera, Lakha, Meeta Engineer and Shamsher have been availing off regular parole twice a year since 2013. Some of them were on a special parole of a year and a half during the pandemic.

Though members of the morcha have been advocating release of political prisoners on humanitarian grounds, the presence of radicals at the protest site has raised many an eyebrow.

Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, who has been fighting cases of the Bandi Singhs much before the dharnas were staged, said five police personnel, including a former SSP, were sentenced for life. “Five cops got life sentence for fake encounters. However, they were released prematurely after two to four years. If they can be released, why can’t Bandi Singhs?”

Courtesy : The Tribune

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