Patiala, November 18
With the indictment of Punjab Police personnel involved in the disappearance of her husband Jaswant Singh Khalra, Paramjit Kaur Khalra is a relieved women. She is not happy with the quantum of the punishment, but feels her husband’s work and their efforts to unmask the unlawful working of the Punjab Police have borne fruit.

“Today’s verdict has proved that these people were behind the disappearance of my husband and his murder. It has brought to the fore the black deeds of the police. Since my husband was working on unmasking the fake encounters, they planned to eliminating him.”

The case has been an emotional rollercoaster ride for her family. “I am not emotional about it any more. Ten years we have struggled to get justice for my husband and his mission. By the grace of God, my children have handled the whole trauma well. They have suffered but have supported me in my grief and efforts to get justice.”

Looking ahead, she says the mission started by Jaswant Singh Khalra is of prime importance and the committee looks forward to taking it a step forward.

She sought capital punishment for the accused . “I am not satisfied with the verdict. They should have been hanged. We have fought for justice for 10 years and only two of them have been given life imprisonment. What did the rest get? Seven years and five years.”

In fact, one of her counsel Brijinder Singh Sodhi, also reiterated her statement and said they would move the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the decision and seek death penalty for all accused.

Hitting out at former DGP KPS Gill, Mr Sodhi said he would ask the CBI to investigate the role of KPS Gill and two other head constables.

On January 16, 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra and Jaspal Singh Dhillon, general secretary and chairman, respectively of the Human Rights Organisation of the SAD, released a report of nearly 25,000 bodies which were allegedly cremated by the police as they were lying unclaimed. Three days later, Mr K.P.S Gill issued a statement in the media that Khalra’s claims were unsubstantiated and that all “missing” persons had actually gone abroad. The very next day, Khalra, speaking at a press conference, challenged Mr Gill’s statement and invited him to have an open debate on the issue.

Again on February 27, Khalra, while addressing a press conference, said that he had been receiving threatening calls and was asked to scuttle the investigations. He also claimed that Tarn Taran SSP Ajit Singh Sandhu was in the process of destroying evidence and had demanded that the police officer should be transferred from Tarn Taran to some other place as he was hampering the investigation process.

On July 29, 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra again held a press conference at Amritsar where he reiterated that he had been receiving threats and he communicated the same to the then SGPC chief G.S. Tohra and Mr Justice Ajit Singh Bains.