ANOTHER POLICE MURDER BY POLICE IN INDIA
Extensions of Remarks

HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2007

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, on September 22, the Tribune newspaper of Chandigarh reported that a Sikh woman by the name of Lakhbir Kaur held a press conference to expose the murder of her brother, Kinder Singh, by the Indian police. Kinder Singh was an innocent truck driver. He was killed in one of the fake encounters that continue to plague Punjab and other minority areas of India. Kinder Singh was just 20 years old when ''the world's largest democracy'' snuffed out his life.

Apparently, Kinder Singh was a victim of India's policy of paying bounties to police officers for killing ''militants.'' When he was killed, the police claimed that they had killed a man named Jaspal Singh, who had a bounty of Rs. 5 lakh, 500,000 rupees, or about $13,000, on his head. In a country where two-thirds of the populace lives on 40 cents per day, $13,000 is a massive amount of money.

Jaspal Singh. the person who was allegedly killed in the encounter, sat right next to Ms. Kaur during her announcement. He is not the first person to have been proclaimed dead by the Indian government who has turned up alive. Several years ago, the New York Post reported on another man who had to sue the government to have himself declared alive. This is not uncommon in India.

Also there was Colonel G.S. Sandhu of the Majha Ex-Servicemen Human Rights Front. He detailed how Kinder Singh was pulled out of his truck by the police and killed for no apparent reason except to collect the bounty. This is one of over 41,000 cash bounties that our State Department says the Indian Government paid to police for killing Sikhs. One policeman got a cash bounty for killing a three-year-old boy.

Colonel Sandhu demanded that a retired High Court judge conduct a probe into the massive atrocities of the police. He has set up a hotline to report terrorist incidents. We salute Lakhbir Kaur for her courage and we salute Colonel Sandhu for his efforts. I second his call for an impartial probe of the atrocities committed in Punjab.

Unfortunately, the repression is ongoing. Even today, people get arrested for acts such as marching, making speeches, and raising a flag. We cannot accept this, Madam Speaker. We need to stop providing financial support for the Indian regime by stopping our aid and trade, and we need to put the U.S. Congress on record in support of self-determination for the Sikhs of Khalistan, the Christians of Nagalim, the Muslims of Kashmir, and all the oppressed minorities of South Asia. Until the people have their freedom and self-determination, atrocities like the one that happened to Lakhbir Kaur's family will sadly continue.

I would like to place the Tribune article on Lakhbir Kaur into the RECORD at this time.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY OR FAKE ENCOUNTER?

Amritsar, September 21, 2007: In what could be yet another case of mistaken identity or a planned fake encounter, the sister of a victim here today claimed that the actual ''militant'' the police claimed to have killed was still alive.

Lakhbir Kaur alleged that the police killed her brother, Kinder Singh, who was an innocent truck driver, on August 13, 1993, for no reason. Interestingly, Jaspal Singh, who had an award of Rs 5 lakh on his head and was shown killed in police files, was still alive. He was present with Lakhbir Kaur here today.

Addressing a press conference, Col G.S. Sandhu, chairman of the Majha ExServicemen Human Rights Front & NGO Aapna Punjab, demanded a probe by a retired high court judge to bring out the truth of fake encounters so that compensation could be given to the families of the victims.

''Kinder Singh of Nagoke (20) was pulled out of a truck in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, and shot dead. The story planted was that militant Jaspal Singh of Nangli, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh, was shot in a police encounter. Kunan Singh, father of Kinder Singh, sold his 3 acres of land and shifted to UP and the family is now living in abject poverty,'' said Colonel Sandhu.

''Already, leaks from police sources suggest that Kinder Singh and Sukhpal Singh of Kala Afghana were killed as a result of mistaken identity as no reward money was claimed and the records being old have been destroyed as per laid down rules and now it is difficult to pinpoint responsibility at this stage. The issue is why the families of the two victims were not informed about their deaths,'' he questioned.

Colonel Sandhu demanded ''the state should not shy away from admitting past mistakes, render apology, provide compensation

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This material is circulated by the Council of Khalistan, which is registered with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, DC under the Foreign Agents Registration Act as an agent of the Council of Khalistan, Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab. The material is filed with the DOJ where the required registration is available for inspection. Registration does not indicate approval of the contents by the U.S. Government.