Newly declassified report confirms cover-up of Punjab Police murder of Sikh leader

A newly declassified 31-year-old report from the Punjab Government looking into the “disappearance” of Bhai Gurdev Singh Kaunke has reaffirmed Punjab Police attempted to cover-up the 1992 murder of the respected Sikh leader.

Bhai Gurdev Singh, who was targeted by Indian authorities as part of mass State efforts to crush any semblance of Sikh activism and resistance, was the Jathedar (Head/Leader) of the Akaal Takht, the supreme Sikh of authority, from 1986 until his “disappearance”. Sikh groups have always been clear that it is well known he was tortured then murdered in one of countless “fake encounter” murders targeting Sikhs in the 80s-90s.

Sikhs looking to learn more about Shaheed (martyr) Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke can read this biography on NeverForget84.com.

The declassified report came from a mandated inquiry the Punjab Government commissioned in 1998 after public pressure, which was originally submitted to Punjab’s Shiromani Akali Dal leadership (led by infamous politician Parkash Singh Badal) in 1999 but kept from the public by every government since until 22nd December of this year. The report was released thanks to the work of the Punjab Human Rights Org (PHRO).

A line in the 1999 report, which was sent directly to India based Sikh groups and media and is unavailable online, states: “After examining all the statements, it seems that the story of Kaunke being kept in police custody and a false case being made was known to all the junior and senior officers”, confirming the fabrication of the case (one of several) put against Bhai Gurdev Singh, along with the complicity of many officers in his targeting. The open-secret within police ranks regarding these “fake encounter” murders against Sikhs is partly why the reality of such situations is well known within Punjab, and there was never any doubt Gurdev Singh Kaunke (and thousands more) were murdered. On occasion, some Punjab families have said they have been told unofficially their family members were murdered so search efforts would end.

The 1999 report also confirms that notorious senior Punjab Police officers, such as convicted sexual deviant KP Gill, Tarsem Gill and Sumedh Saini, whilst it also officially called for an FIR (First Incident Report, Indian crime report) to be made against officer Gurmeet Singh of Jagraon (Ludhiana, Punjab), for falsifying records of the time to help the cover-up of the murder to push a claim that Gurdev Singh actually escaped from his detainment and then “disappeared”.

The PHRO group, who do legal advocacy for Punjab based issues, are now working on taking the issue up legally to seek action against those that carried out the torture and the seniors who gave consent for the killing. A 32-minute interview with PHRO’s lawyer RS Bains details various information on the case, including the depravity of the torture faced by Kaunke, which included having tobacco smoke blown in his face. Tobacco is forbidden within Sikh practice and strictly avoided by Amritdhari (initiated) Sikhs like Bhai Gurdev Singh Kaunke.

Leading India based Sikh body the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) have been enacted by the current Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh to pursue police action based on the recent confirmations about Gurdev Singh Kaunke’s death.

The Sikh Press Association will provide updates on further outcomes to this confirmation as they come in.

See more Sikh reaction on this case below.