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Poohla burns to death but his tale exposes
Indian Justice's shame
Sach Kanwal Singh/WSN Bureau
 AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH:
"Kalank mit gaya, par je
thorra zayada tarrap ke marda te kujhh hor shanti mildi bhale lokan
nu." Outside the burns ward in PGI,
Chandigarh,
a nearly 80-year-old Gursikh retired serviceman's words were
shocking. Nihang Ajit Singh Poohla had just died inside, and
culturally we are taught to forget and forgive after someone dies. In
this case, a crowd of totally unrelated strangers, most of them
Sikhs, were agreeing with what the old man was saying.
Have we become
lesser human beings, or was this a sign of humanity still being
alive? Poohla's life, past and character perhaps underline a
peculiar answer.
Of course the
crime was sensational. A known sinner, rapist, killer, irreligious
and tormentor of hundreds of innocent souls was incarcerated in the
Amritsar
jail. Two inmates, both clean shaven Sikhs, had known and read too
much about the man and the almost invincible protection he had got
from the corrupt police officers for decades. Of course, none of it
was a secret and Poohla's sins were chronicled by many in the past,
but then this was an opportunity they just didn't let go.
The two managed
to get some diesel, splashed it inside Poohla's comfort barrack, set
fire using some rags, and burnt a lot of pure evil. He was rushed to
a local hospital, then to PGI in
Chandigarh where
by next morning, he died.
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Honors pour on
duo that reformed Poohla finally
When the two inmates who set Poohla on fire were brought to the
court, several Sikh leaders were at hand to hail them as heroes.
Among these were Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani)
Gurjatinder Pal Singh Bhikhiwind, Baldev Singh Sirsa, Rajwinder
Singh Raju, Damdami Taksal's Bhai Mohkam Singh, Dal Khalsa's
Kanwarpal Singh, Surinder Singh Ghariala, Bhai Narain Singh
Chaura, Wazir Singh, Sukhpal Singh Baserke, Balkar Singh Balia
and Harbir Singh Sandhu of Akali Dal (Amritsar).
Bhai Mohkam Singh presented a siropa to Navtej Singh and
Harchand Singh. Gurjatinderpal Singh and Baldev Singh Sirsa also
presented siropas to the duo.
Harchand Singh's brother Salwinder Singh said during the Moghul
regime, the credit for avenging the insult to Sikhism went to
Bhai Sukha Singh Mehtab Singh of Marri Kambo Ki village of
Khalra. This time too the credit went to his family that hails
from same place. He said the entire family is proud of the fate
that their son ensured for Poohla. |
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Long time lovers
turned up to cry. Take a roll call: Punjab Vigilance Bureau Director
Sumedh Singh Saini, himself known to be a heartless, ruthless,
lawless and scruple-less police officer, late chief minister Beant
Singh’s grandson Harkirat Singh, representing a family with zero
idea of human rights, Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon, indicating by his
presence how criminals' roots run deep in politics, and many of
their ilk. Also present were Manjinder Kang and police officer
Paramraj Singh Umranangal.
Immediately
after sending Poohla to his deserved fate, in a manner that Poohla's
lovers should rather appreciate as he himself was a great devout of
bludgeoning people to death and burning those who opposed his
highhandedness, the two inmates Navtej Singh of Amritsar and
Harchand Singh of Khalra in Tarn Taran were hailed by a large number
of Sikh organisations, a battery of Sikh lawyers turned up to fight
their cases for free, and many an announcement have been made to
shower cash rewards on the two.
The parents of
the two -- killers to the world outside and worthy achievers for
many Sikhs and rights-loving people -- are being felicitated across
Punjab
currently.
The media's
role
But just look at
the Indian national media, forever sensationalising news, it did not
find this news worthy enough to be splashed nationally. Here was all
the sensationalism one could get, topped up with public honours for
the killers who burnt a man to death right inside a jail, that too a
powerful friend of powerful police officers and politicians, but the
national electronic and print media stayed away from the story,
leaving only the
Chandigarh based
editions to cover it locally. Clearly, the establishment loving
media knew that it just cannot afford to bring out the complete
story as then it would expose the true face of Punjab police and
Indian establishment which rear thugs and killers for purposes that
would leave even the most hardened full of rage.
 The media,
intead of focussing on Poohla's past, spent ink and paper on finding
out how the inmates got diesel in jail; this in a country where you
get virtually anything inside jails from cell phones to guns.
Indian
intelligence agencies and the police were quick to blame the usual
suspects, the Babbar Khalsa International.
All his life
Poohla was a police CAT, but unlike the cat's nine lives, his life
was protected by the police, and he didn't have any to help him at
that time.
Punjab police
officers of course used him to trap, kill and embroil in false cases
many Sikh fighters in Tarn Taran, Batala,
Amritsar
and elsewhere. There is no end to the FIRs against Poohla, cases of
murder, burning people alive, abducting and raping girls, even
Poohla used his influence in cases of land grabbing,
drug-trafficking, one involves even a five year old girl.
In the fight
against Sikh aspirational movement, Indian establishment found such
lesser specimens of humanity particularly useful and domesticated
them for beastly roles.
Inmates knew
Poohla's reality
The two inmates
who taught Poohla the lesson of his life had read a booklet,
'Hindustani Atwad' authored by Baljit Singh, detailing his reality.
Police has booked both for murder.
ADGP, jails,
Izhar Alam Khan, visited the jail to inquire into the incident.
Izhar as SSP,
Amritsar, was
one of the cop officers who gave Poohla arms, power and a free run.
Poohla belonged
to
Ludhiana. His real name was Jaswinder Singh, and he strayed into the
world of crime at a young age, developed a taste for murder and
illegal possession of properties with the help of corrupt cops. He
had a weakness for taking over gurdwara properties but had recently
found a strong challenge from some spirited fighters under the
umbrella of Majha Freedom Fighters Association of Col (retd) G S
Sandhu.
Sewadar too attacked
Two days
after Poohla met his fate, another inmate of the jail thrashed one
of his sewadars, also lodged in the jail, on Saturday. Ranjit Singh,
who was lodged under a drugs case, thrashed Gurdial Singh in the
food queue with a crude strip chiselled out of a spoon.
3 September 2008
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