UNITED NATIONS OFFICE IN GENEVA
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Excellency,

          I am addressing this message to your Excellency in my capacity as Special

Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights appointed under Commission resolution

1993/40 to examine questions relevant to torture. My mandate was renewed by Commission resolutions 1995/37 and 1998/38.

          In this connection, I would like to draw your Excellency's attention to information I have received concerning Jaspal Singh Dhillon, the Chairman of the Human Rights and Democracy Forum and Chairman of the Sub-Committee of the Co-ordination on Disappearances in Punjab, who was reportedly arrested on 23 July 1998 at 5 pm from the house of his friend Karamjit Singh, in Chandigarh, Union Territory. He was allegedly arrested by several Station House Officers from the Sohana police station, Ropar. As he is believed to remain detained and in view of the previous ill-treatment he has allegedly been subjected to when arrested under similar circumstances, fears have been expressed that he may be at risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

          Without in any way implying any conclusion as to the facts of the case, I should like to appeal to your Excellency to seek clarification of the circumstances with a view to ensuring that the right to physical and mental integrity of the above-named person is protected. This right is set forth inter alia in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Declaration on the protection of All Persons from being subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

          I would appreciate receiving any information that your Government could provide about the situation of the above mentioned person, including his trial or release, and if it could assure me of his humane treatment while in detention.

          Accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

          Nigel S. Rodley, Special Rapporteur on Torture of the Commission on Human Rights.

His Excellency       True Copy

The Minister for Foreign Affairs    Sd/-

HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON  SW1A 0AA
JENNY JONES  M.P.
Wolverhampton South West

Dear Mr. Dogra,

I have been told today of the arrest of Jaspal Singh Dhillon who is a well-known human rights activist and chair of the Investigation Group of the Co-ordination Committee on Disappearances in Punjab. I understand that he was arrested yesterday. I am writing to express my concern that he may be tortured whilst in police custody. He was tortured by the police when he was detained in 1993.

Will you please ensure that Jaspal Singh Dhillon is treated with full respect for his human rights whilst he is in detention and that he is neither tortured, nor killed. It is important also that Mr. Dhillon is granted full and unhindered access to his family, his lawyers, and to medical staff.

At the time of his arrest his vehicle was also taken away by police. The vehicle is a Tata Mobile and its registration number is PB12B 9879, will you also ensure that the police do not plant evidence in this vehicle.

I am amongst a group of MPs in the House of Commons who are taking an interest in human rights in the Punjab. It is our intention to monitor the treatment of Jaspal Singh Dhillon. As India is a democracy I know that you will want to ensure that Mr. Dhillon's treatment whilst in detention is in fully accordance with the principles of human rights which I am sure the Indian Government aspires to.

Yours sincerely,

Sd/-
Jenny Jones
Mr. P.C. Dogra,
Director General for Police of the Punjab,
Police Headquarters,
Chandigarh, Punjab, India.

True Copy
Sd/-
(GUPTA)

Amnesty International

FAX Cover Sheet

To                : Mr Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab

From             : Koen  De Feyter, President
Date             : July 27, 1998
This FAX contains (1) page(s), this one included.
If you didn't receive all of the pages, or if they are not fully legible, please contact the above mentioned person.

Dear Chief Minister,

Herewith, our organization respectfully urges you to immediately order an independent investigation into allegations that false cases have been filed against Jaspal Singh Dhillon, rajinder Singh Neeta, Kulbir Kaur Dhami and Daljit Singh Rajput as a means of intimidation.

Please allow us to urge you furthermore to ensure that the detention of Jaspal Singh Dhillon and Rajinder Singh Neeta be immediately reviewed and to order an independent investigation into reports that Mr Neeta was illegally detained for several days during which time he was tortured.

Finally, we do trust that prompt action will be taken against any police officials found responsible for filing false charges against human rights defenders as a means of harassment or intimidation.

Your prompt and effective intervention will mostly oblige.

Respectfully yours,
Sd/-
Koen De Feyter
True Copy
Sd/-
(GUPTA)

Mr. Prakash Singh Badal, Chief
Minister of Punjab, Office of the
Chief Minister, Chandigarh, Punjab,
India

Cc:     His Excellency Yogesh Mohan Tiwari,
Embassy of India,
Kaertnerring 2A, A-1015 Vienna, Austria.

28th July 1998.

Dear Chief Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of Jaspal Singh Dhillon, Rajinder Singh Neeta, Kulbir Kaur Dhami and Daljit Singh Rajput. All four are accused of having participated into a conspiracy to secure the escape of several prisoners at Burail Jail, Chandigarh, who are charged with assassinating the former Chief Minsiter of Punjab in 1995.

Mr. Dhillon was arrested on 23 July 1998. I understand that he is being held in solitary confinement.

Mr. Neeta was arrested on the 12 June 1998 and was - illegally - detained for nine days before being brought before a court. Mr. Neeta claims that he was tortured during his detention.

Please investigate into these cases. Those responsible for the ill-treatment of the two detainees must be brought to justice. May I also ask you with utmost respect to intervene for the release of Mr. Dhillon if he is not promptly charged with any recognizable criminal offence.

Mr. Dhillon and Mr. Neeta claim that false cases have been filed against them as they are both members of human rights organizations which investigate cases of 'disappearance' following arrest by the police in Punjab.

Ms. Dhami and Mr. Rajput are at risk of arrest and subsequently torture. Both claim that they did not participate in any kind of conspiracy and that they are victims of false accusations due to their human rights activities.

I would appreciate if you could encourage investigate into these cases as I know that human rights defenders in Punjab have regularly been subject to harassment and direct human rights violations. Thank you for your attention. I am sure you will do everything in your power to secure the safety and well-being of Mr. Dhillon, Mr. Neeta, Ms. Dhami and Mr. Rajput.

Yours sincerely,

Mag. Christa Reitmayr                                                True Copy

Hagenauertalstr, 24                                                   Sd/-

A-2372 Giesshuuebl                                                   (GUPTA)

Austria

Mr. Parkash Singh Badal
Chief Minister of Punjab
Office of the Chief Minister
Chandigarh, Punjab, India
Fax. 00 91 172 741821

24th July, 1998

Dear Minister

Re: Human Rights Activist Jaspal Singh Dhillon

As a member of Amnesty International I am extremely concerned that Jaspal Singh

Dhillon may be tortured in police custody, and request that he is treated with full respect

for his human rights while in detention.

I also request that Jaspal Singh Dhillon is granted full access to his family, lawyers of his choice and to medical staff.

Yours sincerely

Miss Lynn Wyeth

                                                                   True Copy

                                                                   Sd/-

                                                                   (GUPTA)

Mr Parkash Singh Badal,
The Chief Minister,
Office of the Chief Minister,
Chandigarh, U.T.,
India

Dear Mr. Badal,

I was very concerned to hear of the arrest of Mr. Jaspal Singh Dhillon, a well known Human Rights Activist in the Punjab. I have worked with many Sikhs in the UK, through their community based co-operation with the Refugee Council in London, a charitable agency that works with refugees in Britain and acts in an advisory role to the present Government on Refugee issues.

The arrest of Mr. Dhillon has caused much concern amongst this community, who know of his work in the Punjab through his work with Jaswant Singh Khalra, a well known Human Rights Activist who "disappeared" in 1995. Amnesty International has carefully followed the case brought by Khalra's wife to prosecute the police officers who were allegedly responsible for his abduction and has just released a report expressing concerns at the apparent obstruction in the Legal process being experienced in this case, entitled: A mockery of Justice - the case concerning the "disappearance" of human rights defender Jaswant Singh Khalra severely undermined. Earlier this week a report entitled: "Punjab's Cremation Grounds )" 1984-1994), based on evidence unearthed by Jaspal Singh Dhillon and Jaswant Singh Khalra, was presented by the Sikh Human Rights Group to the Punjab Parliamentary Human Rights Group in Westminister. Many MPs who had been alerted by their constituents to the statement by the Director General of Police in Punjab that Jaspal Singh Dhillon would shortly be arrested, have expressed their concerns with regard to the welfare and protection of Human Rights Activists in India.

Mr. Dhillon had recently criticised the DGP for his lack of respect for human rights, and it is feared that evidence had been fabricated to frame him. He has already been arrested once in 1993 and suffered torture at the hands of the Police. Mr. Dhillon is very well known abroad, and I myself had the chance to meet him on one of his trips to the UK last year. I would urge you to make sure there is an immediate independent inquiry into the grounds of Mr. Dhillon's arrest in order to demonstrate to the eyes of the world, the protection of human rights workers in Punjab.

Yours sincerely,                                                                 True Copy

Sd/-                                                                                Sd/-

Mathew Beevers                                                                 (GUPTA)

Mr. Prakash Singh Badal,

Dear Chief Minister,

          I wish to express my concern for the following in that there may have been a

violation of Human Rights against them. The persons concerned are:-

                                      Jaspal Singh Dhillon
Rajinder Singh Neeta
Kulbir Kaur Dhami
Daljit Singh Rajput.

          I would urge that the appropriate authorities order immediately an independent investigation into allegations that false cases have been filed against the above named as means of intimidation.

          I would request the authorities to immediately review the detention of Jaspal Singh Dhillon and Rajinder Singh Neeta and to order an independent investigation into reports that Mr. Neeta was illegally detained for several days during which time he was tortured.

          I would equally urge that the authorities take prompt action against any police officials found responsible for filing false charges against human rights defenders as a means of harassment or intimidation.

          I feel confident that you will deal speedily and with justice in these matters.

                   Yours sincerely,
Sd/-
Doreen Clinton-Smith
Mr. Prakash Singh Badal,                                                      True Copy
Chief Minister of Punjab,                                                      Sd/-
Office of the Chief Minister,                                                  (GUPTA)
Chandigarh, Punjab, India.

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