Saturday, March 29, 2025
Rajiv Singh Randhawa was one of the most crucial eyewitnesses for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the abduction and murder case of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a prominent human rights activist in Punjab.
Jaswant Singh Khalra had exposed the cases of thousands of Sikh youths who were killed by the police during the militancy era in Punjab and illegally cremated as “unclaimed.” Following this, on September 6, 1995, he was abducted from outside his house in Amritsar. Rajiv Singh Randhawa was present there at the time and witnessed the entire incident.
During his testimony in court, Rajiv Singh Randhawa made several crucial and sensational disclosures. The key points of his testimony were as follows:
1. Eyewitness Account of Khalra’s Abduction Randhawa told the court that on September 6, 1995, he was present outside Jaswant Singh Khalra’s house in Amritsar. He saw with his own eyes that Punjab Police personnel (which included officers from the Tarn Taran police) arrived in an official vehicle and forcibly abducted Jaswant Singh Khalra.
2. Confirmation of Torture in Police Custody In his testimony, he stated that after the abduction, Khalra was kept illegally in police custody. According to Randhawa, Khalra was brutally tortured at the behest of the then SSP of Tarn Taran, Ajit Singh Sandhu, and other police officers to stop him from making further disclosures regarding the unclaimed bodies.
3. Claim of Involvement of High-Ranking Officers Rajiv Singh Randhawa also named the then Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab Police, K.P.S. Gill, in his testimony. He stated that while Khalra was in illegal police custody, DGP K.P.S. Gill himself visited the detention site (a police station/quarter in Tarn Taran) and met Khalra. According to Randhawa, this was done to pressure Khalra.
4. Threats and Pressure from the Police In court, Randhawa also testified that the Punjab Police exerted heavy pressure on him not to give evidence in this case. He and his family were given death threats and attempts were made to implicate him in false cases, but despite this, he stood firm on his statements in court.
Outcome of the Case: Based on the strong testimonies of Rajiv Singh Randhawa and another key witness (former Special Police Officer Kuldip Singh), the court in 2005 found six Punjab Police officers (including former SP Jaspal Singh) guilty of the abduction and murder of Jaswant Singh Khalra and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
Rajiv Singh Randhawa’s testimony is considered an extremely courageous step in the fight for human rights and in securing justice against police excesses in Punjab.
