Police vacate slain top militant’s house after 28 yrs
HOUSE IN NAUSHEHRA PANUAN VILLAGE IN PATTI WAS CONVERTED INTO A POLICE POST
TARN TARAN : The years-long wait of the family of Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, the founder of Sikh militant group Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan, has finally come to an end.
For, their house at Naushehra Panuan village in Patti sub-division of Tarn Taran district that was converted into a police post, has been vacated by the police department after 28 years.
The family of Manochahal, who was killed in an alleged encounter with the police at Rataul village of the district in 1993, had been running from pillar to post to get back the possession of the house spread over 3 kanals.
“Following the orders of senior officials, we vacated the building on Sunday evening. We don’t know the reason behind the move. Now, we have been provided an old building near the village stadium,” said Naushehra Pannuan police post in-charge Jaspreet Singh.
SSP Dhruman H Nimbale said a team led by the Patti DSP visited the village on Sunday, but he was not aware if the building was vacated. “The building was given to the department by the village panchayat through a resolution. Now the panchayat has allotted us a large building by passing a resolution that will be sent to the deputy commissioner for approval before shifting the police post,” he said. Village sarpanch Tarsem Singh said, “Police had asked us to check whether the building was on the panchayat’s name. We told them that it on the name of Manochahal’s father Atma Singh, not of the panchayat’s.”
Manochahal’s brother Tarlochan Singh, who lives in nearby Manochahal village, said, “We had been fighting to get back the possession of our house for all these years.”
The sarpanch said the then panchayat members passed a resolution in favour of the police in 1995. Some allege that it was done under pressure and the police had already taken the property in their possession in 1992.
Some of the members of the family have migrated to Canada. It is learnt that the approached Congress’ Patti MLA Harminder Singh Gill and other political leaders to get the building vacated. Gill, however, said, “I have nothing to do with the development. A case in this regard is pending in the Punjab and Haryana high court.”