Current Events
97-Year-Old Braveheart’s Crusade To Bring India’s Tyrant Police Officer To Justice:
So That She Can ‘Die Peacefully’
HARISH V. NAIR
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (“CBI”) court in Delhi has fast-tracked a 21-year-old case in which Punjab’s Director General of Police (“DGP”) Sumedh Saini and three other police officials have been accused of kidnapping and murdering her son.
This Director General of Police is widely known as 'The Butcher of Punjab" for his litany of crimes during the last three decades.
The sensational case, which is shaping up to be one of the longest ever criminal trials, is being heard in a Tees Hazaari court in Delhi, India.
In May 2004, the Supreme Court of India transferred the case from Ambala - where the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the case be transferred from Ludhiana -- to Delhi.
Amar Kaur (97), the mother of Vinod Kumar, one of Saini’s three victims, had sought the transfer citing Saini’s ability to influence witnesses, given his powerful position in his home state.
The other two victims are Kumar’s brother-in-law Ashok Kumar and their driver Mukhtiyar Singh.
Out of a total of 36 witnesses, only two have been examined so far.
As reported by Mail Today on May 15, 2014, the case was also creating a record of sorts as the cross-examination of the third witness - Vinod’s brother Ashish Kumar - which began two-and-a–half-years ago on May 14, 2012, still continues.
“I have already been cross-examined during 50 hearings and have been asked all possible questions. The defence is trying all possible tricks to delay the case,” Ashish alleged.
On a plea by Ashish and CBI, the court has now expedited his cross-examination and ordered that it be held day-to-day till it finishes.
“It has been earlier observed that the counsels are expected to cooperate and expedite the cross-examination, which has continued for several dates in view of the voluminous record and several supplementary statements of witnesses recorded during CBI investigations.The case shall be taken up on day-to-day basis from January 7, 2015 for further cross-examination, till conclusion,” ruled Additional Sessions Judge A.K. Mendiratta.
Acting on telegrams from Amar Kaur who was seeking the fast-tracking of the case from her hospital bed so that she could “die peacefully”, the Delhi High Court ordered a day-to-day trial three times, but it never materialised.
The victims’ family and the CBI repeatedly charged the “powerful” accused with indulging in delay tactics, but Saini’s lawyers have dismissed the accusation.
With half her body paralysed, besides battling high blood pressure, heart problem and sugar down to serious levels, Amar Kaur had been attending court proceedings in a wheelchair.
THE CASE DIARY
March 15, 1994: Vinod Kumar, his brother-in-law Ashok Kumar and driver Mukhtiyar Singh taken into custody in Ludhiana on orders of then Senior Superintendent of Police (“SSP”) Sumedh Saini. They have never been seen since then.
March 24, 1994: On a plea by Vinod’s brother, Ashish, the case is transferred to CBI by Punjab and Haryana High Court.
April 18, 1994: A case registered against Saini and three others -- SP Ludhiana Sukhmohinder Singh, Ludhiana SHO Inspector Paramjit Singh and SHO Kotwali Inspector Balbir Tiwari.
May 5, 2004: Supreme court of India transfers the case from Ambala to Delhi after Amar Kaur cited Saini’s ability to “influence witnesses.”
Dec 5, 2006: Local court frames charges against Saini and three other accused.
Dec 15, 2006: Saini and three other accused file appeal in Delhi High Court.
[Courtesy: Daily Mail. Edited for sikhchic.com]
January 8, 2015
Conversation about this article
1: Gurteg Singh (New York, USA), January 08, 2015, 5:21 PM.
The Indian judiciary has been hand-in-glove with the mass murderers and criminals and has done all in the garb of procedural wrangling, technicalities and outright bias to delay and ultimately deny justice to the victims of the genocidal policies of the Indian Government. In fact there is a strong case that the Indian judiciary is an accessory to the crimes against humanity. There is no democracy and no justice for Sikhs. Just today, tens of thousands of Indian government occupation forces blocked a cavalcade of peaceful Sikhs who were trying to go to Darbar Sahib along with Bhai Gurbaksh Singh to fulfill his last wish to pay his respects at the holy shrine. The silence of our USA and Canada based organizations (other than customary press releases) is quite disconcerting. What is the use of all their activism for Sikh identity if the very foundation of your nation is slipping away before our eyes under a very determined, ruthless communal and criminal enemy?