Retd Justice Katju: Demanding Khalistan Democratically Is Not a Crime

CHANDIGARH :- Addressing the gathering of activists during the human rights conference in Makhan Shah Lubana Auditorium of Chandigarh, Former Judge of Supreme Court and Chairman of Press Council of India Justice Markanday Katju stated that imposing sedition charges against organizers of ‘Sarbat Khalsa 2015’ was wrong and Police contingents responsible for registering fake FIR’s should be booked. The conference was organized by ‘Sikhs for Human Rights’, ‘Lawyers for Human Rights’, ‘Punjab Human Rights Organization’ and ‘Sikh Youth of Punjab’.
Justice Katju added that Supreme Court had earlier made it clear that demanding Khalistan in a democratic manner was not wrong, but only committing violence in the demand for Khalistan was.
Commenting on revelations made by cat Gurmeet Pinky, Justice Katju said that a thorough probe was needed against the police cops exposed by Pinky. He said that responsible police cops should be immediately indicted for committing fake encounters of innocent Sikh youths. Citing one of his verdicts on the case of fake encounters by police, Justice Katju informed that he had recommended Capital punishment for such a crime. Expressing deep concern over the boom of land mafia, sand mafia, transport mafia and hotel mafia in Punjab, Justice Katju added that inclination in the property of Akali leaders and rising debt of Punjab should be probed immediately. Talking about the innocence of Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, Justice Markanday Katju said that he went through the verdict of the case in which Prof. Bhullar was held guilty by the panel of judges with a 2:1 ratio. He said that he was in-line with Justice M.V Shah’s verdict of declaring Prof. Bhullar innocent in the case. Justice Katju said that he met Dr. Manmoham Singh regarding the pardoning of Prof. Bhullar during his tenure, but Dr. Manmohan Singh had expressed helplessness in the case. Justice Katju added that he then brought the matter into notice of President of India following which the punishment of Prof. Bhullar was commuted.