Swaran Singh [Ghotna]

65 documented cases directly implicating Swaran Singh [Ghotna] in abduction/disappearance and/or extrajudicial execution:

Amritsar District

Amritsar II Subdistrict
Kuldeep Singh Male, age 20-21 at time of extrajudicial execution, Amritsar
Patti Subdistrict
Hajoora Singh Male, age 20-21 at time of extrajudicial execution, Bua
Harbans Singh Male, age 25 at time of extrajudicial execution, Uboke
Sukhwinder Singh Male, age 17 at time of extrajudicial execution, Bhikhiwind

Bathinda District

Bathinda Subdistrict
Amarjit Singh Male, age 24 at time of extrajudicial execution, Bhucho Mandi

Faridkot District

Jaitu Subdistrict
Mandar Singh Male, age 33 at time of extrajudicial execution, Bish Nandi
Pritpal Singh Male, age 24 at time of extrajudicial execution, Bish Nandi

Firozpur District

Firozpur Subdistrict
Amar Singh Male, age 35 at time of extrajudicial execution, Piruwala
Zira Subdistrict
Nishan Singh Male, age 20 at time of extrajudicial execution, Padhri
Pritam Singh Male, age 20 at time of extrajudicial execution, Talwandi Jalle Khan

Gurdaspur District

Batala Subdistrict
Jagdish Singh Male, age 28 at time of extrajudicial execution, Batala
Satnam Singh Male, age 20 at time of extrajudicial execution, Chahal
Dera Baba Nanak Subdistrict
Sukhdev Singh Male, age 30 at time of extrajudicial execution, Kot Maulvi
Gurdaspur Subdistrict
Tarsem Singh Male, age 24-25 at time of extrajudicial execution, Kohar

Hoshiarpur District

Dasuya Subdistrict
Baljinder Singh Male, age 21-22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Korala Kalan
Jaswant Singh Male, age 30 at time of disappearance, Alawal Isa
Mukhwinder Singh Sandhu Male, age 35-36 at time of disappearance, Data
Hoshiarpur Subdistrict
Harminder Singh Male, age 26 at time of extrajudicial execution, Chalopur

Jalandhar District

Jalandhar I Subdistrict
Gurdeep Singh Male, age 50 at time of disappearance, Jalandhar
Hardeep Singh Male, age 29-30 at time of extrajudicial execution, Phulpur
Harminder Singh Male, age 21-22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Jamsher
Ranbir Singh Male, age 33 at time of extrajudicial execution, Jalandhar
Rashpal Singh Male, age 22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Dhin
Jalandhar II Subdistrict
Avtar Singh Male, age 32 at time of extrajudicial execution, Bisrampur
Balveer Singh Male, age 20 at time of extrajudicial execution, Manak Rai
Darshan Singh Male, age 65-67 at time of extrajudicial execution, Dhirpur
Gurdev Singh Male, age 26 at time of extrajudicial execution, Dhirpur
Jagdev Singh Male, age 22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Jalla Singh
Onkar Singh Male, age 30-31 at time of extrajudicial execution, Talwandi Jhandir
Nakodar Subdistrict
Manjit Kaur Female, age 34-35 at time of extrajudicial execution, Nurpur
Ravinder Singh Male, age 19 at time of extrajudicial execution, Littran
Phillaur Subdistrict
Jhilman Singh Male, age 24 at time of extrajudicial execution, Gursian Piran
Makhan Singh Male, age 26 at time of disappearance, Powadra

Kapurthala District

Bhulath Subdistrict
Baldhir Singh Multani Male, age 21 at time of extrajudicial execution, Ramgarh
Kapurthala Subdistrict
Bagicha Singh Male, age 25-27 at time of extrajudicial execution, Khukhrain
Jaspal Singh Male, age 22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Saido Bholana
Palwinder Singh Male, age 25 at time of extrajudicial execution, Mansurwal Bet
Ranjit Singh Male, age 14-15 at time of extrajudicial execution, Kanjli
Phagwara Subdistrict
Manbir Singh Male, age 30-32 at time of disappearance, Chaheru
Surinder Singh Male, age 28 at time of extrajudicial execution, Phagwara
Sultanpur Lodhi Subdistrict
Balvir Kaur Female, age 28-29 at time of extrajudicial execution, Rampur Jagir

Ludhiana District

Jagroan Subdistrict
Ajmer Singh Male, age 35 at time of disappearance, Rasulpur Malla
Avtar Singh Male, age 24-25 at time of extrajudicial execution, Kaunke
Gurdev Singh Kaunke Male, age 42-43 at time of extrajudicial execution, Kaunke Kalan
Harbhajan Kaur Female, age 44-45 at time of extrajudicial execution, Roomi
Hardev Singh Male, age 21 at time of extrajudicial execution, Majri
Harpal Singh Male, age 28 at time of extrajudicial execution, Kamalpura
Roop Singh Male, age 29 at time of extrajudicial execution, Dehrka
Sukhdarshan Singh Male, age 23 at time of extrajudicial execution, Gurah
Teja Singh Male, age 43 at time of extrajudicial execution, Fatehgarh Sibian
Khanna Subdistrict
Randhir Singh Male, age 16-17 at time of extrajudicial execution, Bibipur
Raikot Subdistrict
Sukhwinder Singh Male, age 15 at time of extrajudicial execution, Jatpura

Moga District

Bhagha Purana Subdistrict
Makhan Singh Male, age 19 at time of disappearance, Tharaj
Moga Subdistrict
Komaljeet Singh Male, age 26-27 at time of extrajudicial execution, Chuharchak
Nirbhai Singh Male, age 25-28 at time of extrajudicial execution, Chuharchak
Ranjit Singh Male, age 32 at time of disappearance, Ghal Kalan
Shingara Singh Male, age 35 at time of extrajudicial execution, Korewala Kalan
Nihal Singhwala Subdistrict
Jagtar Singh Male, age 28 at time of extrajudicial execution, Raoke Kalan

Rupnagar District

Rupnagar Subdistrict
Inderjit Singh Male, age 29 at time of extrajudicial execution, Rattangarh

Sangrur District

Barnala Subdistrict
Jagga Singh Male, age 24 at time of extrajudicial execution, Tapa
Malerkotla Subdistrict
Hakam Singh Male, age 22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Bhaini Kalan

Location Withheld

Anonymous Male, age 35 at time of disappearance, location withheld
Anonymous Male, age 18-19 at time of extrajudicial execution, location withheld
Anonymous Male, age 21 at time of extrajudicial execution, location withheld
Anonymous Male, age 60 at time of extrajudicial execution, location withheld

Key statistics of cases directly implicating Swaran Singh [Ghotna]:

Victim Demographics 

Gender

95.4% Male 62
 
 
4.6% Female 3

Marital status

60.0% Not married 39
 
 
40.0% Married 26

If married, did the victim have children?

33.8% Yes 22
 
 
6.2% No 4


Total children surviving victims: 59

Religion

100.0% Sikh 65
 

Caste

78.5% Jat 51
 
 
21.5% Non-Jat 14

Age

6.2% 0-17 4
 
75.4% 18-33 49
 
13.8% 34-49 9
 
3.1% 50-64 2
 
1.5% 65+ 1
 

Education

9.2% No education 6
 
21.5% Primary school 14
 
12.3% Middle school 8
 
38.5% High school 25
 
1.5% Some college 1
 
7.7% College degree 5
 
7.7% Graduate degree 5
 
1.5% Vocational degree 1
 

Employment

43.1% Farmer/agriculture 28
 
12.3% Student 8
 
6.2% Day labourer 4
 
3.1% Shopkeeper 2
 
3.1% Driver (bus/truck/car) 2
 
3.1% Mechanic 2
 
3.1% Housewife 2
 
3.1% Unemployed 2
 
27.7% Other 18
 

Urban / Rural

81.5% Rural 53
 
 
12.3% Urban 8

Abduction, Detention, & Torture 

Prior detentions

56.9% Yes 37
 
 
40.0% No 26

Prior torture

46.2% Yes 30
 
 
10.8% No 7

Abduction preceding enforced disappearance/extrajudicial execution

86.2% Yes 56
 
 
13.8% No 9

Security officials informed witnesses where they were taking the victim

16.7% Yes 7
 
 
83.3% No 35

Witnesses to abduction

64.6% Yes 42
 
 
7.7% No 5

Victim abduction location

23.1% Victim’s residence 15
 
13.8% Roadside 9
 
9.2% Friend/relative's residence 6
 
4.6% Village fields 3
 
4.6% Bus station/stand 3
 
4.6% Police station 3
 
1.5% Checkpoint (naka) 1
 
1.5% Shop/market 1
 
18.5% Other 12
 

Detention facility type

Data forthcoming

Preceding detention location known

60.0% Yes 39
 
 
26.2% No 17

Witnesses to detention preceding enforced disappearance/extrajudicial execution

Data forthcoming

Security official response to victim status

13.8% Denied involvement 9
 
12.3% Other 8
 
10.8% Gave no response 7
 
9.2% Killed victim in an “encounter” 6
 
3.1% Victim had escaped 2
 
1.5% Admitted extrajudicial execution with no explanation 1
 
1.5% Told family to go to another police station 1
 

Victim presented before judge/magistrate

10.8% Yes 7
 
 
69.2% No 45

Enforced Disappearances vs. Extrajudicial Executions 

Classification

86.2% Extrajudicial executions 56
 
 
13.8% Enforced disappearances 9

Number of victims per family

87.7% 1 victim 57
 
12.3% 2 victim 8
 

Related incidents

0.0% Genuine encounters in family 0
 
 
100.0% No genuine encounters in family 65

Body Disposal 

Security forces returned body

20.0% Yes 13
 
0.0% Yes, but forced immediate cremation 0
 
66.2% No 43
 

Body disposal by security forces

35.4% Cremated the body 23
 

Condition of corpse, if known

15.4% Bullet wounds 10
 
9.2% Other 6
 
7.7% Bruises 5
 
6.2% Broken bones 4
 
3.1% Cuts/wounds 2
 
3.1% Burn marks 2
 
1.5% Missing hair from head or face 1
 
1.5% Missing fingernails 1
 

Security Forces Implicated 

Names of involved security officials known

100.0% Yes 65
 
 
0.0% No 0

Security forces uniformed

100.0% Yes 42
 
 
7.1% No 3

Type(s) of security forces involved in abduction

80.0% Punjab Police 52
 
13.8% CRPF 9
 
9.2% Criminal Investigation Agency 6
 
1.5% BSF 1
 
1.5% Other 1
 

Type(s) of security forces involved in extrajudicial execution

81.5% Punjab police 53
 
15.4% Criminal Investigation Agency 10
 
7.7% CRPF 5
 
4.6% BSF 3
 

Militancy Involvement 

Militant status

46.2% Militant 30
 
 
46.2% Non-militant 30

Non-militant, provided support to militants

13.8% Yes 9
 
 
29.2% No 19

If provided support, support was voluntary

9.2% Yes 6
 
 
4.6% No 3

Remedies & Impact 

Approached court or commission

30.8% Yes 20
 
 
69.2% No 45

Approached security officials

44.6% Yes 29
 
 
50.8% No 33

Reason the family did not pursue any kind of action

55.4% Afraid of retaliation 36
 
23.1% Believed it would have been ineffective 15
 
10.8% Couldn’t afford 7
 
7.7% Not applicable 5
 
7.7% Didn’t know what to do 5
 
1.5% Other 1
 

Remedies desired from government

66.2% Truth commission 43
 
56.9% Monetary compensation to family 37
 
46.2% Employment 30
 
44.6% Public acknowledgement of wrongful deaths 29
 
44.6% Criminal sanctions against those responsible 29
 
43.1% Investigations into abuses 28
 
29.2% Memorial for victims 19
 
24.6% Rehabilitation services to family members 16
 
9.2% Desire nothing from government 6
 
3.1% Other 2
 

Year & District 

District

6.2% Amritsar 4
 
1.5% Bathinda 1
 
3.1% Faridkot 2
 
4.6% Firozpur 3
 
6.2% Gurdaspur 4
 
6.2% Hoshiarpur 4
 
23.1% Jalandhar 15
 
12.3% Kapurthala 8
 
16.9% Ludhiana 11
 
9.2% Moga 6
 
1.5% Rupnagar 1
 
3.1% Sangrur 2
 

Year

0.0% 1981 0
 
0.0% 1982 0
 
0.0% 1983 0
 
0.0% 1984 0
 
0.0% 1985 0
 
10.8% 1986 7
 
10.8% 1987 7
 
12.3% 1988 8
 
15.4% 1989 10
 
7.7% 1990 5
 
7.7% 1991 5
 
18.5% 1992 12
 
7.7% 1993 5
 
0.0% 1994 0
 
0.0% 1995 0
 
0.0% 1996 0
 
0.0% 1997 0
 
0.0% 1998 0
 
0.0% 1999 0
 
0.0% 2000 0
 
0.0% 2001 0
 
0.0% 2002 0
 
0.0% 2003 0
 
0.0% 2004 0
 
0.0% 2005 0
 
0.0% 2006 0
 
0.0% 2007 0
 
0.0% 2012 0
 
9.2% Date Unknown 6
 

Boundaries based on the 2001 census. Read about our methodology.