Jan
23
Update to the Ajmer Singh Case
January 23, 2006 | Comments Off on Update to the Ajmer Singh Case
The Tribune reports that the Punjab police wrongfully confined Sikh author Ajmer Singh for over eighteen hours on January 6.
Police officers arrived at Ajmer Singh’s residence around 9pm to arrest him on charges dating back to 1970 that the state government had dropped in 2001. The police officers showed no search or arrest warrants.
Recalling the Thursday night terror, Singh said Sub Inspector Amanjot Singh of the Crime Branch arrived at his house around 9 on Thursday night, armed with a box of sweets and an invite. But before he could figure out the invite, Ajmer said four more persons slipped in quietly and told him that he was being arrested for involvement in a car accident. ‘‘All of them were in plain clothes and I was not shown any search or arrest warrants,’’ he said.
The officers then ransacked his room, confiscating books and papers. During Ajmer Singh’s detention, the police refused to acknowledge his detention or reveal his whereabouts to his family and lawyer.
By the time he reached the police station, Singh said the cops had ransacked his room and picked up “each and every scrap of paper. My first book was against the state, and it seems they were interested in finding out more about my writings.”
Upon learning of Ajmer Singh’s detention, ENSAAF issued an urgent petition to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. When Ajmer Singh’s lawyer, Navkiran Singh, learned that the Sector 11 Crime Branch police were detaining him, he held a press conference announcing the information. The police were forced to acknowledge the detention and bring Ajmer Singh before a magistrate within 24 hours, as required by law. Since there was no case against Ajmer Singh, the magistrate ordered the police to release him.
Ajmer Singh’s lawyer has stated that a police probe is necessary, and is planning to file a suit for damages.
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