SGPC gives Rs 1-lakh cheques to Pilibhit victims’ relatives

Amritsar : The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today presented cheques of Rs 1 lakh each to the kin of the Sikhs who were killed in a fake encounter by the police at Pilibhit in the 1990s.As many as 11 Sikhs had been killed, but the SGPC could only identify four families of the victims belonging to Gurdaspur.Those who received the compensation included families of Kartar Singh, Surjan Singh, Harminder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh.SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar said that the others too would be given relief.“It was an unfortunate instance, nothing short of a blot on humanity. The SGPC will always support the victims’ families,” he said.The victims and their family members were returning from a pilgrimage on a bus in July 1991 when the police intercepted and dragged 11 Sikhs out of the vehicle. They were taken to an unknown place in another vehicle.