annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
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INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Punjab<br />
was allegedly brutally beaten up and<br />
Deputy Superintendent of the Jail, Satpal<br />
Singh and the jail doctor Chander Shekhar,<br />
inscribed “choorraa’’ 52 (lower caste) on<br />
his back with the help of some surgical<br />
instrument at Jalandar Central Jail on the<br />
night of 2 July 2004. He sought some<br />
medicine after he suffered pain in the<br />
abdomen. The two also allegedly abused<br />
Malkiat saying, “there are no medicines<br />
<strong>for</strong> Scheduled Castes people.” Medical<br />
<strong>report</strong>s <strong>report</strong>edly also confirmed that he<br />
had wounds on his head and lashes marks<br />
on his body. 53<br />
III. Violence against women<br />
Violence against women especially<br />
the migrant women is widespread in<br />
Punjab.<br />
Rano, a girl belonging to the Kumhiar<br />
caste, became an alleged victim of honour<br />
killing at her parents’ residence in Bhattian<br />
village in Patiala district on 9 February<br />
2004. She was allegedly murdered by her<br />
own family members, who did not want to<br />
recognize her marriage after elopement<br />
with Gurvinder Singh, a lower caste and<br />
resident of Thakurgarh village in Patiala<br />
district, on 30 January 2004. She returned<br />
to her house on 7 February 2004 after her<br />
father, a rich landlord, assured their<br />
marriage. Two days later she died. Her<br />
family members claimed that she died due<br />
to excessive and uncontrollable vomiting.<br />
Rano’s mother Mohinder Kaur claimed<br />
that there was no time to even call a doctor.<br />
Though none had come <strong>for</strong>ward to <strong>report</strong><br />
the incident, the police had <strong>report</strong>edly<br />
206<br />
registered a case of murder against Rano’s<br />
parents. 54<br />
On 5 September 2004, a large number<br />
of migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar<br />
held a demonstration in front of the city<br />
police station in Abohar in Ferozepur<br />
district against police inaction in nabbing<br />
the son of a dhaba, roadside restaurant,<br />
owner who allegedly tried to rape the 12year-old<br />
daughter of Shiv Pratap Singh, a<br />
resident of Nai Abadi locality on 3<br />
September 2004. Family members of the<br />
boy allegedly threatened Shiv Pratap<br />
Singh of dire consequences if the<br />
complaint was not withdrawn. The<br />
migrants demanded the immediate arrest<br />
of the accused. 55<br />
On 5 September 2004, Sarabjeet Kaur<br />
was <strong>report</strong>edly sold off to a middle aged<br />
man Nihal Singh of Jandiala in Amritsar<br />
by her in-laws <strong>for</strong> Rs 25,000. The widow,<br />
who managed to escape from her captivity,<br />
alleged that after her husband died in a<br />
road accident, her mother-in-law started<br />
harassing her saying she was a burden. On<br />
5 September 2004, Sarabjeet’s mother in<br />
law took her to a Gurdwara in Jalandhar,<br />
where she intoxicated her and then<br />
<strong>for</strong>cibly married her off to Nihal Singh.<br />
She was then taken to Jandiala where she<br />
was allegedly raped. Nihal Singh allegedly<br />
even threatened to kill her one-and-a-halfyear<br />
old daughter in case she refused<br />
sexual favours to him. She alleged that<br />
SHO and ASI of Police Station division<br />
No 7, Jalandhar had pressured her to<br />
compromise with the situation on grounds<br />
that she is a widow. 56