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	Darshan Singh: A Recent Case Study of ongoing Torture
	Amritsar , Panjab , India - Darshan Singh, 34, a small time farmer was ‘picked up' by Panjab police. On Aug 27th 2006 Darshan Singh was arrested by the Indian CIA (Criminal Intelligence Bureau) at about 5.10 pm. Plain-clothes policemen picked up Darshan Singh and Harbhajan Singh, a 70 year old gentleman, during a police raid on a house near the Chowki bypass, 100 meters away from the Majitha Road in Amritsar . During the raid, the house was surrounded by 2 private cars with policemen in civil clothes and a dozen civil officers. Harbhajan Singh, who was released after 2 days, said that Darshan Singh, who had not been produced in court till then or released, “is being tortured”. He said, “For the first day, Darshan Singh was tortured in front of me, where the police kicked him, stood on him and used rollers on his knees. Then they spread his legs as far as they could go till Darshan lost his consciousness. Water was thrown on his face to wake him up and the torture was repeated. Darshan Singh's face has swollen up. The next day he was moved out of the common room where Darshan was. He could hear Darshan's shrieks and painful cries, in the neighbouring cell….”

	Torture Photos of Darshan Singh

	Telegrams had been sent to the Chief Minister Panjab, the Punjab Human Rights Commission and to the Chief Judicial Magistrate Amritsar. Three telegrams had been sent to the Session Judge Gurdev Singh, Chief Judicial Magistrate Mr Varinder Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner Amritsar Mr. Bhullar. However, Darshan Singh was not produced in court, according to his lawyer V. P. S. Bhatia till the evening of Sept 1, 2006 . He further said that the court had asked the Assistant Sub Inspector Police to file a reply by the evening of Sept 1 2006 but the Police officer had failed to file the reply.

	Darshan Singh has a six month old son. His wife and an aged mother kept running from pillar to post to seek his release. Darshan Singh's family continues to wait for justice. His mother had sent telegrams to the Chief Minister of Punjab , Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court and Punjab Human Rights Commission.

	He had been picked up for interrogation without the knowledge of his family. The Punjab Police produced Darshan Singh in a sub divisional court in Ajnala close to Amritsar on September 5, 2006 caving under the pressure created by the Voices For Freedom. Voices For Freedom had written to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Mr. Novak requesting him to ask the Government of India to produce him in a court. United Nations office responded by asking the Government of India to do the needful. Mr. Darshan Singh has been implicated in a case of attempt to murder registered against him almost twelve years ago.


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