New Delhi: The arrest of senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer Davinder Singh, who was accompanying two wanted terrorists to Jammu, has also brought him under the scanner for his alleged links with 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Singh was named by Afzal Guru, who was hanged on 9 February 2013, in a letter that he wrote to his lawyer Sushil Kumar from Tihar jail.
In the letter, Afzal alleged that Singh and other officers from the J&K police not only tortured him and extorted money, but also introduced him to one of the men who later attacked Parliament. Afzal also claimed that it was Singh who asked him to arrange for a car and a place to stay for the attacker.
Singh’s role, however, was not investigated by authorities.
ThePrint culls out key excerpts from the letter by Afzal, in which he has referred Davinder Singh as ‘Dravinder’.
‘Dravinder Singh tortured me’
“One day at 10 AM I was on my two wheeler scooter that I had purchased just before two months. I was whisked away by STF men in bullet proof gypsy to Paihallan camp. There the D.S.P. Vinay Gupta tortured me, electrified me — put me in cold water — used petrol-chillies and other techniques. He told me that I possess weapons but at evening time one of his inspector Farooq told me that if I can pay 1000,000 Rs. to him (DSP) I will be released or they will kill me.
“Then they took me to Humhama STF camp where D.S.P. Dravinder Singh also tortured me. One of his torture inspector as they called him Shanty Singh electrified me naked for 3 hours and made me drink water while giving electric shocks through telephone instrument. Ultimately I accepted to pay them 1000000 Rs. for which my family sold the gold of my wife.
“Even after this they could manage only 80000 Rs. Then they took the scooter too which was just 2-3 months old which I bought for 24000 Rs. Thus after getting 1 lakh rupees they let me free. But now I was a broken person. In the same Humhama STF camp there was one more victim named Tariq. He suggested me that I should always co-operate with STF otherwise they will always harass and will not let me to live normal – free life.”
‘Small job for Dravinder’
“Since from 1990-1996 I had studied in Delhi University I was also giving tuitions in different coaching centres and also home tuitions. This fact reached to the man named Altaf Hussain who is brother-in-law of S.S.P. Ashaq Hussain of Budgam. Since it was this Altaf Hussain who managed my family rather he became the broker between my family and D.S.P. Humhama Dravinder Singh.
“Altaf told me that I should teach his two children one on 12th, 2nd [second one] in 10th class as his children were not able to go outside for tuition due to militant threat. Thus I became very close to Altaf’s and Altaf also.
“One day Altaf took me to Dravinder Singh (D.S.P). D.S. told me that I had to do a small job for him that has to took one man to delhi as I was well aware about Delhi and has to manage a rented house for him. Since I was not knowing the man but I suspected that this man is not Kashmiri as he did not speak in Kashmiri but I was helpless to do what Dravinder told me. I took him to Delhi.”
‘Purchase of car, phone calls from Dravinder’
“One day he (Singh) told me that he want to purchase a car. Thus I went with him to Karol Bagh. He purchased the car. Then in Delhi he used to meet different persons and both of us he Mohammad and me used to get the different phone calls from Dravinder Singh. One day Mohammad told me that if he want to go back to Kashmir he can. He also gave me 35000 Rs. and told me that this gift is for you.
“6 days or 8 days before I took a rented room at Indra Vihar for my family as I decided to live in Delhi with my family because I was not satisfied with my this life. I left the keys of rented house to my land lady and told her that I will be back after Eid festival on 14th Dec. after parliament attack about which there was a lot of tension. I contacted Tariq in Sgr. [Srinagar]. At evening he told me when I came back from Delhi. I replied just one hour before. Next morning when I was about to leave to Sopore from bus stand Sgr. police caught me and took me to Parampora police station Tariq was there also with STF. They took 35000 Rs. from my pocket, beated me and directly took me STF Head Quarter. From there I was taken to Delhi. My eyes were blind folded. Here I found myself in special police torture cell.
“In special cell custody I told them everything regarding Mohammad etc. but they told me that I Showkat his wife Navjot (Afshan) Geelani are the people behind parliament attack. They too threatened me regarding my family and one of the inspector told me that my younger brother Hilal Ahmad Guru is in STF custody. They can lift the other family members too if I don’t co-operate with them.
“They tried me and forced me to implicate Showkat his wife and Geelani but I did not yield. I told them this is not possible. Then they told me that I should not say anything about Geelani (be about his innocence). After some days I was presented before media hand cuffed.
“I was never given an [a] chance in [the] designated court to tell the real story. The judge told me that I will be given full opportunity to speak at the end of case but at the end he even did not recorded my all statements neither the court gave me whatever even court recorded. If phone numbers recorded will be seen carefully the court would have come to know the phone numbers of STF.”
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‘Entrapped by Special Task Force’
Afzal says that he was entrapped by Special Task Force of Kashmir and was made to confess under duress.
“In the parliament attack case I was entrapped by Special Task Force of Kashmir. Here in Delhi the designated court sentenced me to death on the basis of special police version which workes in nexus with STF, and also came under the influence of mass media in which I was made to accept the crime under duress and threat by special police A.C.P. Rajbir Singh.
“When I was arrested in Srinagar bus stand I was taken to STF Headquarter from here the special police along with STF brought me to Delhi. In Srinagar at Parompora Police Station everything of my belongings was seized and then they beated me and threatened me of dire consequences regarding my wife and family if I reveal or disclose the reality before anybody.
“Even my younger brother Hilal Ahmad Guru he was taken into police custody without any warrant etc. and was kept there for 2-3 months. This was first told to me by A.C.P. Rajbir Singh.
“Special police told me that if I will speak according to their wishes they will not harm my family members and also gave me false assurance that they will make my case weak so that after sometime I will get released.”
‘Played dirty game in the hands of S.T.F. just for survival’
“The most important priority I gave to safety of my family. As I know from last seven years how the SIF men kill the Kashmiris, how they had made youth invisible and had disappeared them while killing them in custody.
“I am living and organic eye-witness to various tortures and custodial killings and I am myself the victim of STF terror and torture. Being an surrendered militant of JKLF I was constantly harassed, threatened and agonized by various security agencies like Army, B.S.F. and S.T. F. But since S.T.F. is unorganized, without being accountable a band and gang of renegades patronised by state government.
“They intrude every house, every family everywhere in Kashmir anytime day or night. If anybody is picked up by STF and his family came to know this, then family members only wait to get his dead body which they hope. But usually they never came to know his whereabouts.
“6000 youths have disappeared. Under these circumstances and under this fearful environment persons like me are always ready to play any dirty game in the hands of S.T.F. Just for the survival.”
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Extortion
“The people who are able to pay in terms of cash are not forced to do the dirty things the way I did as I was not able to pay.
“Even one of the policeman of the same police station of Parimpora named Akbar had extorted 5000 Rs. long before attack and threatened me that he will charge me as selling duplicate medicines and surgical items of which I was doing business at Sopore, in 2000. He came here in designated court and became a witness against me.
“In the court room he told me in Kashmiri that my family is o.k. indirectly it was a hidden threat which the designated court hardly could realise otherwise in court I would have questioned him but before court started recording his statement he told me this.
“Throughout the trial I remained mute and helpless spectator as witnesses, police and even judge they all became a single force against me. I remained a frustrate bewildered and confused between the security and safety of myself and my family. I protected and saved my family. That is how I am lying in deathrow.”
‘Police harass surrendered militants’
“Surrendered militants were not given jobs. They were either to work as SPOs or STF or to join the renegades under the patronage of security forces or police. Everyday SPOs were get killed by militants.
“In these conditions I started my commission based business earning 4000 Rs. – 5000 Rs. per month. But since the police informers (SPOs) usually harass those surrendered militants who do not work with S.T.F. Etc.
“From 98-2000 I usually used to pay 300 Rs. sometimes 500 Rs. to local SPO so as to keep myself in business otherwise these SPO make us to present us before security agencies. Even one of the SPO one day told me that they too have to pay their bosses. As I was working hard in my business my business flourished.”
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Can you imagine this. Afzal accused a then nobody davinder of the exact crime he has been caught red handed doing a odd 20 years later. This not only implicates Davinder but also the whole Vajpayee administration Mainly Advani the then home minister and Vajpayee the PM.
Afzal s son and wife and mother if they ever doubted his innocence should now breath a sigh of relief, the most tragic victim of henious plots by those in power then.
All this is happening because trial is on to make a State which is unnatural.
Jolly LLB dekhi hai na. Ek galat encounter ek police wale se. Jab tak police ki kahani hai sach man lete hain lekin adalat???
Adalat me police ki jhoothi story nahi chalti. Wo bhi supreme court me. Un saboot ke bare me batayiye? Centre me congress thi aur kashmir me umar, congress ya fir national confrence. In logo ne jaanch kyun nahi ki??
This is all total drama and lie.He was given a fair chance to speak.Those who have suspicion can you tube and check that he had appeared in so many interviews. Hence saying that I wasn’t given a chance is a complete lie.
Eise gaddaron ko tukra tukra karke namak chhidak kar public ka saamne maar dena chahiye.
After reading this, I feel that there must be element of truth in Afzal’s story. Sadly, this is because we know that Indian police has a lot of corruption in it and have a bad brand. And this is not a Kashmir specific issue. I feel really sorry for innocent citizens who are victimized. I feel sorry even for the people who get misled into acts of terror and then pay such a horrendous price for it.
However, these people are not innocent. They have chosen a path of creating terror to solve whatever problems they have. We all have problems and have a choice on how to deal with them. Life is not a bed of roses! So, it’s very difficult to believe every word they say, also. Most criminals come up with stories to get sympathy. It’s much harder to believe them, sadly. Lying is part of the game for a criminal mind.
I strongly feel that publishing the full statement of a criminal is a little irresponsible. Otherwise, to be fair, we should be reading statements made by all criminals, so we can start seeing a pattern. Extra sympathy for high profile criminals is unfair.
I am fully convinced that militants should be handled with iron hands.
But i am even more convinced that corrupt police officers who can jeopardize any person’s life should be punished even more severely.
Let the guilty get away but No innocent person should ever suffer.
It was not mentioned, when Afzal Guru wrote this letter implicating Davinder Singh in the conspiracy of Parliament attack. Probably he wrote the letter during UPA regime. That is why Davinder Singh was not interrogated. In India, where persons awarded death penalty remain in jail for tens of years, this letter by him might have expedited the execution of sentence of Guru, else he may reveal some more names of security and politicians of JK who conspired the attack. So now Davinder’s links with the politicians of JK, particularly of PDP and Congress should also be taken into consideration while probing Davinder.
Are you an agent of BJP? Then why are you ranting against UPA, PDP only. Let justice serve to those who have been wrongly implicated and indicted. Corrupt officers are not only siphoning off our money but also wrenching our faith, emotion, respect blah blah atteached to them. Go talk to a subedars or front line military people who risk their lives on behalf of whole regiment, they will tell you in and out of our defense system. However i still believe, our defense system is reprimanding all those who are maligning the image of our army and country.
So now what.. Afzal Guu, gave all this information and nothing was done about it, So all the protests to save him were right, what the hell is the police doing, The government hasnt sorted this kind o f crap happening in the system, and they bring more more chaos in the society. Who will be responsible for his death. Which government to blame ?? Congress BJP or both.. these both corrupt parties, running the system for years, and hiding each others mess and corrupt policies.
Sadly people of todays believe Politicians word who can even kill their own children to remain in power! Thousands of innocent people are getting into these traps everyday, but since they’re poor, powerless their voices are not heard. That’s why I believe in God who’ve Justice.
This police officer should be questioned thoroughly. But If Afsal Guru keep silent in sake of his family’s safety, do he dare to write all these to his lawyer. Why his lawyer did not present the letter in court
Usually the advocate who works for the defendant asks him to follow these tactics to get out of the criminal cases and to prove how he is not involved. Nobody will buy these stories. All the security forces working in Jammu and Kashmir, stay away from their families and die fighting with these terrorists for the country. Nobody will buy a story coming out from a Terrorist.
If all his words are lies, then how come Davinder Singh is now in the news. You cannot believe the police, they are too playing all dirty things for themselves and politicians.
This IPS officer has entrapped innocent people and caused their hanging, abetted in the parliament attack which was investigated under both the BJP & UPA 1 governments while the Abdullahs were ruling Kashmir while all of this happened.
Since the judicial system can never bring back the life of Afzal Guru, they should pass death sentence to all the IPS & police officers as well as the politicians, bureaucrats & judiciary involved in this case.
This goes to prove that Afzal Guru acted only under duress and this cannot be considered treason. Now that his guilt has been disproven, this will be a big boost to the human rights & the leftist movements.
Finally, does the Modi government have the guts to take this to its logical conclusion and set things right atleast out of fear of God since they do not fear the people of India?
It seems that you are starting to recieve justice Afzal bhai…. Inshallah your (and all other innocently forced captives) sacrifice won’t go in vain.
And now
This is a got up case.
If this is real then all Indians should ashamed of courts and police criminal justice system to implicate a wrong man…if afjal guru is innocent then we made most heinous crime by killing him through death sentence
All these sure were discussed extensively and proven incorrect before the true criminal was hanged to death. This Sing also gets same fate. Don’t trust the words of a dreaded terrorist. Instead read the entire judgement by taking some 20 days focus if you want to know the truth.
Rightly said Sir.
Oh
God if it is true we have blood in our hands.
This guy is dead now and dead don’t speak lie. The truth should come out and made public. There are serious things in the letter. nexus between the agencies, wide spread corruption and fake arrest and disappearances of youths. This is now out in media and questions will be raised. Till then wait and let the truth prevail.
Now let’s see if this government has the balls to hang Devinder Singh for his role in the parliament attack? After a fair trial, of course!
There has to be a proof of his role, generally culprits try to implicate their investigating officers into false cases. To me it seems yesterday case of his aresst like a case of corruptions rather than any ideological support.
Total drama, Afzal guru was caught giving shelter to parliament attackers (terrorists)
I wish you too be implicated thus….and then we’ll see how’d you prove ur ‘innocence’
In a war zone, sab mumqin hai.