“During the 2009 parliamentary elections, New York based Giani Surinder Singh was forced by SAD (Badal) to return to India so they could gain votes on the Tytler issue. After appearing in the CBI court in April 2009 as a witness against Tytler, Surinder pleaded with Badal to get him placed in Punjab under the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). But due to an underhand deal with Tytler’s right-hand man Rana, SAD (Badal) let Surinder die in the hospital in Delhi under mysterious circumstances,” alleged SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
JALANDHAR – While SAD is targeting former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh for giving a clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the November 1984 massacre of Sikhs in Delhi, US-based human rights group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has accused the Parkash Singh Badal Akali faction of forcing prime witness Giani Surinder Singh to withdraw his testimony against Tytler. SFJ is already pursuing human rights violation cases against Sonia Gandhi and Congress in US courts on the 1984 massacre issue.
SFJ termed Badal and Amarinder as “partners in crimes” against the Sikh community and demanded full accountability of SAD-BJP’s alleged efforts in seeking conviction of Tytler.
“During the 2009 parliamentary elections, New York based Giani Surinder Singh was forced by SAD (Badal) to return to India so they could gain votes on the Tytler issue. After appearing in the CBI court in April 2009 as a witness against Tytler, Surinder pleaded with Badal to get him placed in Punjab under the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). But due to an underhand deal with Tytler’s right-hand man Rana, SAD (Badal) let Surinder die in the hospital in Delhi under mysterious circumstances,” alleged SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
In another case, Gurcharan Singh Rishi, a victim of the 1984 riots and main witness against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, died in front of Badal’s residence while wailing for help from the Punjab CM for medical care, Pannun recalled. “Since 2007, when Tytler was first given a clean chit by the CBI, the case against him is being pursued by US-based witnesses Jasbir Singh, Resham Singh and SFJ without any financial or legal contribution by SAD(B) and SGPC,” Pannun said.
Accusing SAD(B) of using the 1984 riots issue only during the election campaigns, SFJ asked the SAD patriarch to tell people what his party had done for the victims of the pogrom during the last 30 years.
