Nakodar firing victims’ families deserve apology from state: Commission chief
Chandigarh, March 4
Nearly four decades after “four innocent unarmed budding young students were brutally murdered by the trigger-happy Punjab Police at Nakodar”, inquiry commission chairman and former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Ranjit Singh has asserted that the victims’ family deserved an apology from the state for the delayed justice and adequate compensation for the loss suffered.
Justice Ranjit Singh also sought making public an inquiry report submitted by Justice Gurnam Singh Commission in 1987 in connection with Nakodar police killings 37 years ago. Action was also sought on the basis of the report against all police officials “responsible for murder”.
In his letter to the CM, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted that the victims’ fault was that they were peacefully protesting against the incident of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib as five holy ‘saroops’ were set on fire on February 2, 1986.
It was rather unfortunate to note that the then government was responsible for inaction to provide justice to the victims or to punish the culprits of committing incident of sacrilege, though it had before it the Justice Gurnam Singh commission report.
The inaction was noticed on the part of different governments in the state subsequently. “Rather, one would find with dismay that the part of the inquiry commission report has gone missing. All this would not have happened if the media, especially social media, had been vigilant like present days,” he said, adding that the government should set up a SIT to inquire as to how a part of the report went missing.
Four students were shot dead in ’87
- The assertion comes nearly four decades after “four innocent unarmed budding young students were brutally murdered by the trigger-happy Punjab Police at Nakodar”
- Justice Ranjit Singh sought making public an inquiry report submitted by Justice Gurnam Singh Commission. Action was also sought on the basis of the report against all police officials “responsible for murder”
