Gurinder Singh Bhullar's Custodial Death

From SikhiWiki

It was extra-judicial killing, alleges daughter

Prabhjot Singh

Tribune News Service / Chandigarh, June 26, 2005

"My father was a victim of circumstances," alleges Ms Rupa Bhullar, a daughter of Gurinder Singh Bhullar, an accused in the smuggling of narcotics case, who died in judicial custody on June 1.

"His death in judicial custody amounts to extra- judicial killing using neglect, stress and incompetence. What did the prosecution agencies do in 43 days after his arrest as to hand him over as a dead man? Was he an accused or a victim?" asks Rupa wondering whether an accused and his family lose all rights to defend him.

My father was arrested on April 16 at about 6 p.m. by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), allegedly for dealing in narcotics. He was stopped at the police naka of Asron, near Nawanshahr, while he was returning from Jalandhar. He called to inform us of his arrest and detention by the NCB at its office in Sector 2 here," reveals Rupa.

"Though he was suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes, he was allegedly tortured and shuttled between Chandigarh and Nawanshahr as the Punjab police and the NCB were in conflict with each other over his custody. If at all there were any charges against him, the job of the authorities was to prove it in a court rather than make him die a slow death by medical neglect, mental torture and humiliation, she says.

She alleges that right from his first court appearance they tried to deny her father legal representation. Though the NCB informed the family that he would be produced in a Nawashahr court on April 18, he was taken to a Balachaur court to seek his 10-day police remand. The court, realising his bad health, remanded him in judicial custody and sent him to Ludhiana Central Jail.

Rupa , who is a student in the United States, says she met her father on April 19 in the Ludhiana jail. Because of his poor health, he was moved to the jail hospital where his harassment continued as money was demanded from the family for the issuance of a medically unfit certificate, she alleges saying, she met her father again on April 23. He looked quite unwell.

"I came back and met the investigating officer at the Narcotics Bureau. We were informed that in a narcotics case, one cannot apply for a bail until challan has been filed in the designated court. I requested him to expedite the filing of charges considering my father's poor health, but was told that it may even take six months," she says.

Rupa continues: "The Punjab police finally managed to take him on remand on the evening of April 29 in a petty theft case in a jewellery shop in a village. He was sent for a pre-medical check-up where the doctors declared him medically unfit to be taken on a remand. The judge allowed only two days of police remand against the 10 days demanded by the police. He was kept in the Balachaur police station that night and sent to the Joint Interrogation Centre in Amritsar the next morning. On the one hand they were accusing him of dealing in narcotics worth crores, on the other they were accusing him of a petty theft.

"On May 30, when he was produced again in the Balachaur court, the magistrate looked at his condition, realised its seriousness and ordered him to be hospitalised. His feet were swollen, he could barely walk. His toes were bleeding with no sign of any first aid.

"He was not sent to the hospital immediately. Instead he was taken to Ludhiana jail, sent to the Ludhiana Civil Hospital the next day from where he was referred to the PGI. All this time his condition deteriorated, but the family was not informed about it. He was admitted to the PGI where he died a few hours later. The cause of his death conveyed to us was heart attack. After two days and several hours of paperwork, his swollen and bruised body was handed over to us."

Rupa says, "The NCB blames the jail authorities for lack of care, while the jail authorities blame the Health Department for the doctor's conduct. The Punjab police is still unaccountable. The PGI blames the government for lack of resources saying it is equipped to handle only a fraction of cases that comes in. Everyone is simply passing the buck and fails to stand up and take the responsibility," says Rupa.

"I have gone from pillar to post in this time of devastation but no relief is in sight," she concludes. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050627/punjab1.htm#3