Ajit Singh Sandhu

66 documented cases directly implicating Ajit Singh Sandhu in abduction/disappearance and/or extrajudicial execution:

Amritsar District

Amritsar II Subdistrict
Anokh Singh Male, age 35 at time of disappearance, Amritsar
Harminder Pal Singh Male, age 25 at time of extrajudicial execution, Tangra
Jaswant Singh Khalra Male, age 42 at time of extrajudicial execution, Amritsar
Rajinder Singh Male, age 22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Jaspal Nagar
Khadoor Sahib Subdistrict
Balwinder Singh Male, age 42 at time of extrajudicial execution, Vain Poin
Gulwinder Singh Male, age 22-23 at time of extrajudicial execution, Khadur Sahib
Harjit Singh Male, age 22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Khojkipur
Kewal Singh Male, age 28-30 at time of extrajudicial execution, Fatehpur Badesha
Kuldip Singh Male, age 21-22 at time of disappearance, Fatehpur Badesha
Randhir Singh Male, age 34-35 at time of disappearance, Mal Chak
Sardool Singh Male, age 50-55 at time of extrajudicial execution, Gagrewal
Saroop Singh Male, age 21 at time of disappearance, Fatehpur Badesha
Sukhdev Singh Male, age 17 at time of extrajudicial execution, Kot Mohammad Khan
Patti Subdistrict
Ajit Singh Male, age 60-62 at time of extrajudicial execution, Kairon
Anokh Singh Male, age 40 at time of extrajudicial execution, Uboke
Buta Singh Male, age 27-28 at time of extrajudicial execution, Bhura Kohna
Jagdish Singh Male, age 23 at time of extrajudicial execution, Patti
Kabul Singh Male, age 25 at time of extrajudicial execution, Rasulpur
Nishan Singh Male, age 22-23 at time of extrajudicial execution, Rajoke
Satnaam Singh Male, age 20-21 at time of extrajudicial execution, Shahid
Tarn Taran Subdistrict
Ajit Singh Male, age 58-60 at time of extrajudicial execution, Behla
Atma Singh Male, age 67-68 at time of extrajudicial execution, Naushehra Pannuan
Balbir Singh Male, age 40 at time of extrajudicial execution, Dugri
Balwinder Singh Male, age 25-30 at time of extrajudicial execution, Mughal Chak
Balwinder Singh Male, age 30 at time of extrajudicial execution, Sanghe
Balwinder Singh Male, age 35 at time of extrajudicial execution, Jhabal Kalan
Bhagwan Singh Male, age 26 at time of extrajudicial execution, Chohla Sahib Khurd
Chanan Singh Male, age 55 at time of extrajudicial execution, Warana
Davinder Singh Male, age 40 at time of extrajudicial execution, Tarn Taran
Gurdeep Singh Male, age 42 at time of extrajudicial execution, Jiobala
Gurmej Singh Male, age 27 at time of extrajudicial execution, Sarhali Kalan
Gurmel Singh Male, age 41 at time of extrajudicial execution, Pandori Gola
Harphool Singh Male, age 20 at time of disappearance, Jiobala
Inderjeet Singh Male, age 19 at time of extrajudicial execution, Sakhira
Iqbal Singh Male, age 19 at time of extrajudicial execution, Chhina Bidhi Chand
Jatinder Singh Male, age 26 at time of disappearance, Bhullar
Kartar Singh Male, age 55-60 at time of extrajudicial execution, Behla
Lakhwinder Singh Male, age 21-22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Behla
Manjinder Singh Male, age 21 at time of extrajudicial execution, Rataul
Manjit Singh Male, age 22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Manochahal
Niranjan Singh Male, age 58-60 at time of extrajudicial execution, Behla
Piara Singh Male, age 50-59 at time of disappearance, Jiobala
Punjab Singh Male, age 20 at time of extrajudicial execution, Chhappa
Rupinderjit Singh Male, age 22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Tarn Taran
Sakatar Singh Male, age 25-26 at time of extrajudicial execution, Behla
Sarwan Singh Male, age 25 at time of extrajudicial execution, Sarhali Kalan
Satnam Singh Male, age 21 at time of extrajudicial execution, Manochahal
Sukhdev Singh Male, age 19-20 at time of extrajudicial execution, Dhun
Sukhdev Singh Male, age 35 at time of extrajudicial execution, Panjwar
Sukhdev Singh Male, age 20 at time of extrajudicial execution, Buchar Kalan
Surinder Kaur Female, age 35-36 at time of extrajudicial execution, Tarn Taran
Surjit Singh Male, age 53 at time of extrajudicial execution, Chohla Sahib
Tajinder Singh Male, age 22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Palasaur

Fatehgarh Sahib District

Bassi Pathana Subdistrict
Sarbjeet Singh Male, age 20-21 at time of extrajudicial execution, Ghel

Gurdaspur District

Gurdaspur Subdistrict
Harjinder Singh Male, age 38-40 at time of extrajudicial execution, Ram Nagar

Hoshiarpur District

Dasuya Subdistrict
Bikram Singh Male, age 23 at time of disappearance, Khuda
Kuljit Singh Dhatt Male, age 35 at time of extrajudicial execution, Ambala Jattan
Saroop Singh Male, age 27-30 at time of disappearance, Nangal Khunga
Mukerian Subdistrict
Satpal Singh Male, age 25 at time of extrajudicial execution, Chak

Kapurthala District

Kapurthala Subdistrict
Ajit Singh Male, age 65 at time of extrajudicial execution, Khanpur
Gurmej Singh Male, age 28 at time of extrajudicial execution, Fattu Dhinga
Kulwinder Singh Male, age 10-11 at time of extrajudicial execution, Khanpur
Lakhwinder Singh Male, age 16-17 at time of extrajudicial execution, Khanpur
Prithipal Singh Male, age 22 at time of extrajudicial execution, Fattu Dhinga
Swaran Singh Male, age 50 at time of extrajudicial execution, Budha Theh

Location Withheld

Anonymous Female, location withheld

Key statistics of cases directly implicating Ajit Singh Sandhu:

Victim Demographics 

Gender

97.0% Male 64
 
 
3.0% Female 2

Marital status

45.5% Not married 30
 
 
54.5% Married 36

If married, did the victim have children?

50.0% Yes 33
 
 
4.5% No 3


Total children surviving victims: 101

Religion

100.0% Sikh 66
 

Caste

86.4% Jat 57
 
 
13.6% Non-Jat 9

Age

4.5% 0-17 3
 
56.1% 18-33 37
 
21.2% 34-49 14
 
13.6% 50-64 9
 
3.0% 65+ 2
 
1.5% Age unknown 1
 

Education

15.2% No education 10
 
10.6% Primary school 7
 
24.2% Middle school 16
 
34.8% High school 23
 
1.5% Some college 1
 
4.5% College degree 3
 
1.5% Graduate degree 1
 
3.0% Vocational degree 2
 

Employment

45.5% Farmer/agriculture 30
 
7.6% Shopkeeper 5
 
6.1% Student 4
 
4.5% Day labourer 3
 
3.0% Unemployed 2
 
1.5% Driver (bus/truck/car) 1
 
1.5% Mechanic 1
 
1.5% Housewife 1
 
28.8% Other 19
 

Urban / Rural

86.4% Rural 57
 
 
12.1% Urban 8

Abduction, Detention, & Torture 

Prior detentions

37.9% Yes 25
 
 
62.1% No 41

Prior torture

25.8% Yes 17
 
 
12.1% No 8

Abduction preceding enforced disappearance/extrajudicial execution

98.5% Yes 65
 
 
1.5% No 1

Security officials informed witnesses where they were taking the victim

31.6% Yes 18
 
 
56.1% No 32

Witnesses to abduction

86.4% Yes 57
 
 
3.0% No 2

Victim abduction location

27.3% Victim’s residence 18
 
13.6% Roadside 9
 
10.6% Village fields 7
 
7.6% Friend/relative's residence 5
 
7.6% Police station 5
 
4.5% Shop/market 3
 
1.5% Checkpoint (naka) 1
 
1.5% Bus station/stand 1
 
22.7% Other 15
 

Detention facility type

Data forthcoming

Preceding detention location known

74.2% Yes 49
 
 
24.2% No 16

Witnesses to detention preceding enforced disappearance/extrajudicial execution

Data forthcoming

Security official response to victim status

19.7% Other 13
 
16.7% Denied involvement 11
 
15.2% Gave no response 10
 
13.6% Admitted extrajudicial execution with no explanation 9
 
9.1% Told family to go to another police station 6
 
4.5% Killed victim in an “encounter” 3
 
4.5% Victim had escaped 3
 
3.0% Admitted custody only 2
 

Victim presented before judge/magistrate

4.5% Yes 3
 
 
74.2% No 49

Enforced Disappearances vs. Extrajudicial Executions 

Classification

86.4% Extrajudicial executions 57
 
 
13.6% Enforced disappearances 9

Number of victims per family

69.7% 1 victim 46
 
18.2% 2 victim 12
 
6.1% 3 victim 4
 
1.5% 4 victim 1
 
4.5% 7 victim 3
 

Related incidents

4.5% Genuine encounters in family 3
 
 
95.5% No genuine encounters in family 63

Body Disposal 

Body disposal by security forces

25.8% Cremated the body 17
 
10.6% Dumped body in canal or river 7
 

Security forces returned body

3.0% Yes 2
 
0.0% Yes, but forced immediate cremation 0
 
83.3% No 55
 

Condition of corpse, if known

3.0% Bullet wounds 2
 
1.5% Other 1
 

Security Forces Implicated 

Names of involved security officials known

100.0% Yes 66
 
 
0.0% No 0

Security forces uniformed

82.5% Yes 47
 
 
3.5% No 2

Type(s) of security forces involved in abduction

89.4% Punjab Police 59
 
16.7% CRPF 11
 
13.6% Criminal Investigation Agency 9
 
3.0% Black cat 2
 
3.0% Other 2
 

Type(s) of security forces involved in extrajudicial execution

81.8% Punjab police 54
 
7.6% CRPF 5
 
4.5% Criminal Investigation Agency 3
 

Militancy Involvement 

Combatant status

28.8% Combatant 19
 
 
71.2% Non-combatant 47

Non-combatant, provided support to militants

37.9% Yes 25
 
 
33.3% No 22

If provided support, support was voluntary

25.8% Yes 17
 
 
9.1% No 6

Remedies & Impact 

Approached court or commission

53.0% Yes 35
 
 
43.9% No 29

Approached security officials

57.6% Yes 38
 
 
40.9% No 27

Reason the family did not pursue any kind of action

37.9% Afraid of retaliation 25
 
15.2% Believed it would have been ineffective 10
 
6.1% Didn’t know what to do 4
 
4.5% Couldn’t afford 3
 
1.5% Other 1
 

Remedies desired from government

66.7% Criminal sanctions against those responsible 44
 
62.1% Monetary compensation to family 41
 
54.5% Public acknowledgement of wrongful deaths 36
 
50.0% Truth commission 33
 
45.5% Employment 30
 
30.3% Investigations into abuses 20
 
21.2% Memorial for victims 14
 
12.1% Rehabilitation services to family members 8
 
7.6% Other 5
 
1.5% Desire nothing from government 1
 

Year & District 

District

80.3% Amritsar 53
 
1.5% Fatehgarh Sahib 1
 
1.5% Gurdaspur 1
 
6.1% Hoshiarpur 4
 
9.1% Kapurthala 6
 

Year

0.0% 1981 0
 
0.0% 1982 0
 
0.0% 1983 0
 
0.0% 1984 0
 
0.0% 1985 0
 
0.0% 1986 0
 
0.0% 1987 0
 
1.5% 1988 1
 
4.5% 1989 3
 
0.0% 1990 0
 
6.1% 1991 4
 
59.1% 1992 39
 
24.2% 1993 16
 
3.0% 1994 2
 
1.5% 1995 1
 
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
 
0.0% Date Unknown 0
 

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