Julio Francis Ribeiro

Julio Francis Ribeiro, (born May 1929) is a former Indian police officer who is best remembered for his role in instigating false encountered killings upon thousands of Sikh Youths in Punjab.

He is famous for his phrase “Bullet for Bullet”. Actually it is his policy that he adopted in Punjab to save the state from militancy.

Ribeiro also served as India's ambassador to Romania in 1992-1993.Now he is involved in social work. He is presently living in Mumbai, India.

Sikh militant attack and sufferings

In the morning of Oct 3 1986, Sikh militants in police uniforms drove into the headquarters of Punjab Armed Police in the city of Jalandhar, and attacked director general of Punjab police Mr Riberio with automatic weapons. Mr. Riberio survived but his wife received a bullet injury and his bodyguard died in the attack^[1]. Mr Riberio only received a minor injury in his forearm because of a bullet graze.^[2] Four other police and paramilitary officers also received wounds.^[3][4] Even though dozens of police officers were present inside the headquarters but all six attackers escaped in a waiting truck.^[5] Khalistan Commando Force later took responsibility of this attack^[6].

Former police officer and Khalistan Commando Force chief General Labh Singh led the assassination attempt. ^[7][8]. Later 13 people including Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, Punjab Armed Police constable Dalwinder Singh and Baba Gurbachan Singh were charged in this case. Eight of them were later arrested and 5 were declared proclaimed offenders. ^[9]. General Labh Singh later died in an alleged police encounter^[10][11]. Police constable Balwinder Singh was first arrested in this case, then dismissed him from service and later in march 1993, police murdered him in a staged police encounter. His dead body was not handed over to his family and police cremated it by itself. Police also kept his family including his aged parents in their illegal detention for 11 months untill he was killed, during this illegal detention, his family was tortured and was used for minial jobs including cooking, cleaning etc.^[12]. Another Punjab Armed Police Constable Sardool Singh spent 3 years in jail untill court released him on bail. In December 1992, police re-arrested him and his wife. His wife was forced to stay for one night at Senior Superintendent of Police Ajit Singh Sandhu's house in addition to her 18 days of police confinement in different police stations. Police tortured and finally murdered Sardool Singh in a staged encounter on December 26th 1992 and his body was also not handed over to his family for cremation.^[13] Later in 2004, when Khalistan movement diminished, Wassan Singh Zaffarwal was acquitted of charges in the absence of conspiracy proofs against him.^[14][15]

References