In Kuljit Singh Dhatt’s Murder At The Hands Of Three Punjab Cops – It Took 25 Years But His Brother Feels It Was Justice Denied And Is Appealing The Sentence Of 5 Years!
“In India – it is very hard to get justice and I can only tell you from my own experience in my brother’s case that it so long yet it amounted to nothing and these killers are getting good treatment in prison while we continue to suffer,” Harbhajan S. Dhatt told the LINK. “This is one of the main reasons that crime is increasing in India because criminals know that they will get off or take long to get convicted or that for the rich and powerful, justice, like everything else in India, has a price and they will pay and get off. Justice delayed is justice denied.”
By R. Paul Dhillon
SURREY – Kuljit Singh Dhatt was abducted by the Punjab police from Ambala Jattan village on July 23, 1989, along with five others. While others were released, Dhatt was never seen alive again.
Dhatt, who was the son-in-law of the great martyr Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s sister, was murdered by five Punjab Police personnel in Hoshiarpur district. Additional Sessions Judge Poonam R Joshi convicted three of them in the case and sentenced them to 5 years in jail while the two other accused had already died when they were found guilty earlier this year.
For Dhatt’s brother Harbhajan S. Dhatt, who fought day and night to get justice for his brother, the sentence was too lax as they all deserved life in prison or much worse.
“After 25 years of legal battle, we have received no justice,” Dhatt, who is in Surrey on a personal visit, told the LINK during an interview at our office. “We feel sentence awarded by the court is not sufficient and we have moved the high court to get a tougher and more appropriate sentence for the crimes they have committed.”
It’s a miracle that the murderous cops’ case ever made it to trial let alone conviction, given they had massive support from the government of the day and protection from top politicians.
For example, current Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Saini is charged in several murder cases, including involving the murder of his relatives, yet he holds the top police post in Punjab thanks to his cosy relationship with the governing Badal clan, including the Chief Minister Praksash Singh Badal.
“These killer cops were promoted to higher ranks, given protection by the state and they even threatened witnesses in the case and wouldn’t let us lodge the FIR (First Information Report) key to filing of charges,” Harbhajan Dhatt said. “It was only at the behest of the Supreme Court that we were allowed to file FIR.”
Dhatt said it is a Herculean task to get justice in India where the system is stacked against the common man with corruption widespread in the judiciary and a bureaucracy that grinds to a halt the wheels of justice.
“In India – it is very hard to get justice and I can only tell you from my own experience in my brother’s case that it so long yet it amounted to nothing and these killers are getting good treatment in prison while we continue to suffer,” he said.
Dhatt said everything including justice is for sale in India and as a former Supreme Court judge once said of police in India” “Indian police is an organized gang of criminals.” How can one get justice under these circumstances.
“This is one of the main reasons that crime is increasing in India because criminals know that they will get off or take long to get convicted or that for the rich and powerful, justice, like everything else in India, has a price and they will pay and get off. Justice delayed is justice denied.”
