Fresh evidence has emerged on the alleged murder of former Akal Takht Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaonke inside a Jagraon police station, with a serving Senior Superintendent of Police's "eye-witness account" in a new book.The SSP in a recoreded interview - reproduced by human right activist Ram Narayan Kumar in his book "Terror in Punjab: Narratives, Knowledge and Truth", scheduled for release on April 19 - disclosed how the Sikh priest was "tortured nearly to death" inside Sadar police station in his presence. And how sympathetic cops were humiliated by interrogators, including two senior Punjab Police officers with one of them now as SSP and another on deputation with the Union Government.
He claimed the then SSP of Jagraon, Swaran Singh, decided to kill Kaonke as he wanted to get his transfer deferred. Swaran Singh has denied the charge, saying interviews in a book carry no weight when the Supreme Court has already disposed of all petitions related to the Kaonke case.
The book covers the Punjab conflict with case studeies. While reproducing the transcript of the interview with the SSP, the authro has not disclosed his name. Kumar, who is also Convener of CCDP (Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in Punjab), has been working with Tapan Bose, secretary general of the South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR), on human rights violations in Punjab and Kashmir over the past few decades.
The SSP says on January 1, 1993 evening, he saw Kaonke being "huddled" on the floor of a cell in Sadar police station. "He had twisted himself into a knot... Immediately, Swaran Singh (the then SSP, Jagraon) had kaonke's blanket removed and DSP Sodhi and another cop, Channan Singh started kicking him. When blood started flowing, Swaran Singh look at me and said" "Twade Jathedar da peshab nikal gaya (Your Jathedar has peed).