Amritsar: The ‘People’s Documentation and Advocacy Project‘ (PDAP), an organization that has worked tirelessly over the past two decades to carry forward the legacy of Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra—who exposed the truth behind human rights violations and ‘crimes against humanity’ in Punjab during the 1980s and 90s—held a press conference in Sri Amritsar on 23 July 2026. During this press conference, PDAP’s Barrister Satnam Singh Bains, Advocate Jagjit Singh Bajwa, and Advocate Baljinder Singh Bajwa shared information about their efforts over the last 20 years to pursue and advance the work initiated by Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra.
During the press conference, PDAP released a letter addressed to Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, the Acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, who was appointed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The subject of the letter is: “Request regarding providing compensation by the SGPC to the victim families who secured convictions of guilty police officers through CBI courts, and to refrain from double standards in the case of Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra.”
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This letter, a copy of which is with the Sikh Siyasat News (SSN), addresses the (acting) Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, stating: “From 1984 to 1995, thousands of Sikh youths were killed in fake encounters by the Indian Government, Punjab Government, Punjab Police, and central security agencies, and were secretly cremated. Human rights defender Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra, who brought the truth of these incidents to light, was also illegally abducted and disappeared by the Punjab Police, and later assassinated.”
The letter further states that PDAP, under the organization Punjab Disappeared, “has been continuously struggling since 2008 to take forward the unfinished work of Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra. By compiling documentation of the families of the disappeared youths, crematorium records, and collecting other evidence, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2019, presenting the details of 8,257 disappeared persons.”
Additionally, since 2015, PDAP has been consistently pursuing cases registered by the CBI, a process that is still ongoing. Out of approximately 40 cases being heard in the CBI court in Mohali, PDAP’s legal team has successfully secured strict punishments, including life imprisonment, for guilty police personnel in about 35 cases.
Providing insights into this, Advocates Jagjit Singh and Baljinder Singh noted that although guilty policemen have been punished, “most families have either been given extremely meager compensation by the CBI courts or, in many cases, no adequate compensation at all. It is very difficult to knock on the doors of the courts again after such a long time has passed.”
Request to Akal Takht Sahib for Action on Three Issues
In its letter, PDAP requested the Acting Jathedar to issue a directive to the SGPC to “provide adequate financial compensation to all victim families who received justice through the CBI courts.” Second, “the eligible Amritdhari or Sabat Soorat children of the victim families should be given jobs in the SGPC on a priority basis.” The letter further states that “orders should also be issued to the SGPC to take appropriate action regarding Advocate Satnam Singh Kaler, who defended the guilty police officers in CBI cases and in the Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra case, and who was appointed as the Chairman of the Gurdwara Judicial Commission on the recommendation of the SGPC.”
Barrister Satnam Singh remarked, “In recent times, the SGPC President and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) have, on the one hand, supported and promoted a film based on the life of Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra, while on the other hand, people who defended the guilty policemen have been placed in significant administrative positions.” He added that the letter asks the Acting Jathedar to seek clarification from the SGPC and Shiromani Akali Dal regarding this hypocrisy so that their stance becomes clear to the Sikh Sangat.
How the Work Started by Bhai Khalra Was Taken Forward
During the press conference, PDAP shared that the mission, which began with Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra identifying 2,097 unidentified cremations, has endured through 30 years of continuous struggle, ultimately paving the way to identify about 9,000 disappeared individuals in Punjab. The three-decade-long fight for truth, justice, and accountability is still ongoing.
Barrister Satnam Singh stated that the struggle, which initially began with the discovery of 2,097 unidentified and unclaimed cremations, has—three decades later—transformed into an unprecedented effort to identify nearly 9,000 disappeared youths of Punjab and piece together the truth of what happened to them.
9,000 Cases Traced from Over 200,000 Documents
PDAP’s work across the Supreme Court of India, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Special CBI Courts relies on the exhaustive research of approximately 200,000 official government records and documents.
By meticulously cross-referencing and investigating missing persons’ records, details of unidentified cremations, FIRs, post-mortem reports, other official documents, eyewitness statements, and contemporary newspaper reports, this project has succeeded in bringing the truth of the disappeared out of obscurity. It has restored identities and names to the “unidentified,” providing families with closure by revealing how their loved ones were killed, disappeared, and ultimately cremated in various crematoriums under the guise of being “unclaimed.”
115 Guilty Policemen Punished So Far
Barrister Satnam Singh explained that a stay order imposed by the Supreme Court in 2002 on cases investigated by the CBI was successfully lifted in 2016 due to PDAP’s efforts. From 2017 onward, these cases were actively pursued in the courts. As a result, 115 policemen have been convicted and sentenced for murder, abduction with intent to murder, and other grave crimes.
Efforts to Ensure Investigation of 8,257 Cases
PDAP leaders informed the media that, advancing the effort to hold perpetrators accountable, a joint Public Interest Litigation (PIL) encompassing 8,257 cases was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2019. Over the past six years of legal proceedings related to this PIL, the number of traced cases has grown to approximately 9,000, which accounts for only 40% of the 25,000 disappearances initially estimated by Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra.
Tracking the Remainder of 25,000 Cases
Under the ‘Punjab Disappeared’ campaign, despite limited resources, PDAP is continuously striving to gather complete details of the estimated 25,000 cases and is expanding the scope of its investigation. Advocate Baljinder Singh urged the people of Punjab to help achieve this goal by supporting PDAP and coming forward with relevant information.
Demand for an Independent Judicial Commission
Outlining the core objective of PDAP’s efforts, Advocate Jagjit Singh stated that the ultimate goal is to establish an independent Judicial Commission. This commission should investigate the full scale of enforced disappearances, alleged extrajudicial killings, unidentified cremations, and other illegal deaths across Punjab, ensuring that the truth is brought to light and justice is not limited merely to the fraction of cases that have surfaced so far.
Punjab Government Must Put Culprits in the Dock
PDAP asserted that the current AAP government in Punjab must bring to justice the culprits who committed murders during the Congress regime and were subsequently protected by the Badal Dal. They demanded that families affected by these severe human rights violations be granted immediate compensation and that active efforts be made for their rehabilitation.
Current Government Should Shut Down ‘Litigation Cell’ and Secret Funds
According to PDAP, the current Punjab government must immediately dismantle the ‘Litigation Cell’ and the ‘Secret Fund’ established by the Badal Dal to assist policemen guilty of human rights abuses. By doing so, the current administration can avoid becoming complicit in the sins of previous governments.
Chief Minister Must Stand by His Statements
PDAP noted that current Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann must honor the statements he made regarding fake encounters in Parliament during his tenure as an MP. He should actively assist in identifying the guilty individuals.
Punjab Government Must Cooperate with the PIL Investigation
PDAP stated that the Punjab government should assist in the investigative efforts by providing accurate and honest responses to the PIL filed by ‘Punjab Disappeared’ in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The state should not become a partner in these crimes by merely endorsing and supporting the cover-up replies submitted by the police.
Remove Satnam Singh Kaler from the Gurdwara Judicial Commission
PDAP emphasized that the Gurdwara Judicial Commission falls under the jurisdiction of the Punjab government, which is responsible for appointing its chairman and members. The government should appoint individuals of honest and strong Sikh character. They demanded the removal of individuals like Satnam Singh Kaler, who have defended guilty policemen in court and have consequently lost their standing and credibility among Sikhs.
The statement issued during the press conference concluded with a warning: if the SGPC does not initiate proceedings to remove Advocate Satnam Singh Kaler within 15 days, the collective victim families will directly seek accountability from the SGPC President.
