Jasminder [Jaswinder] Singh

 

At least Enforced Disappearances/Extrajudicial Executions

The dossier on Jasminder Singh visualizes and lists cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions reportedly committed by him and agents operating under his authority during his tenure as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP). He served as SSP of at least six (6) jurisdictions in Punjab.

The number of cases presented here is an undercounting of the violations perpetrated during his tenure. This data draws from Ensaaf’s interviews with surviving family members, other witnesses, and public records. Cases lacking complete incident dates or locations have been excluded. Without this information, it is difficult to determine whether those abuses were committed by Jasminder Singh or his agents. This dataset also excludes incidents in which Jasminder Singh or his agents arbitrarily detained or tortured individuals, but did not murder or disappear them.

We will continue to update the cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions attributable to Jasminder Singh as additional information emerges. To a large extent, however, this record and the complete truth remains with the Government of India.

Command History

Unless otherwise noted, Jasminder Singh’s command history draws from the following sources: (1) news reports from the Punjabi daily Ajit and the English daily Tribune (Chandigarh), (2) the individual websites of Punjab’s police districts, listing the names of Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP) and their dates of tenure, and (3) the annual Civil List of the Indian Police Service (IPS) for the Punjab Cadre, prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs, naming the position and date of posting of the senior police official as of January 1 of that year for 1983 to 1997. This information draws from publicly available records/sources; the Government of India retains the complete account of Singh's official postings and activities, however.

Jasminder Singh bears command responsibility for at least cases of abductions, extrajudicial executions, and/or enforced disappearances.

  • SSP Kapurthala, March 26, 1991 - January 7, 1992


  • SSP Faridkot, January 8, 1992 - January 4, 1993


  • SSP Sangrur,
    January 5, 1993 - January 19, 1995


  • SSP Ropar (Rupnagar), January 22, 1995 - August 31, 1995


  • SSP Gurdaspur, September 1, 1995 - November 30, 1996


  • SSP Faridkot, December 1, 1996 - February 26, 1997


  • Gap of 9 months


  • SSP Tarn Taran, November 20, 1997 - March 12, 1999


Personal Participation

  • Jasminder Singh is directly implicated in at least cases of abduction, extrajudicial executions, and/or enforced disappearances.

Known Promotions

The government of India consistently promoted Jasminder Singh throughout his career. India also rewarded Jasminder Singh with two national awards. Jasminder Singh has escaped accountability. Some of his known promotions and awards, reported by news media, include:

  • February 2, 1995: The Tribune reports that SSP Ropar (Rupnagar) Jasminder Singh has won the Police Medal of Gallantry.

  • June 1999 and March 2000: The Tribune reports that Jasminder Singh is serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) (Border Range).

  • January 25, 2002: The Tribune reports that Jasminder Singh was transferred to DIG (Training, Commando).

  • February 5, 2004: The Tribune reports that Jasminder Singh was promoted to Inspector General of Police (IGP) (Computer & Telecommunications)

  • 2004: The Tribune reports that Jasminder Singh was serving as Inspector General (Lokpal) in 2004.

  • September 3, 2010: According to the IPS List 2011, Jasminder Singh was appointed to IGP (Provisioning) on September 3, 2010.

  • January 2011: The Times of India reported Jasminder Singh’s promotion to the rank of Additional Director General of Police (Punjab) (ADGP).

  • June 8, 2012: As per the IPS Civil List of 2014, Jasminder Singh was appointed to ADGP (Crime).

  • August 2014: Jasminder Singh was transferred from ADGP (Crime) to ADGP (IT/Telecommunications). According to the Times of India, this and other appointments were made by the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, potentially in violation of a 2006 Supreme Court order.

  • October 2015: Jasminder Singh was transferred to ADGP Railways with Additional Charge of ADGP Traffic.

  • April 2017: The New Indian Express reported that ADGP rank officer Jasminder Singh had been promoted to DGP Railways.

  • August 11, 2017: Jasminder Singh was transferred to DGP (Internal Vigilance).

  • February 2019: Jasminder Singh was passed up for promotion to DGP of Punjab (Dinkar Gupta was appointed DGP) and transferred to DGP Railways. News media reported on the unusual situation in Punjab which had only 2 positions sanctioned as DGP, but 11 actual DGPs.

  • August 2019: The government of India awarded Jasminder Singh with the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

  • August 30, 2019: Jasminder Singh retired from the Indian Police Service.
Legal Cases / Select News Articles

Jasminder Singh directly participated in the abduction, torture, and killing of at least one human rights lawyer, Sukhwinder Singh Bhatti.

Ajit, June 25, 1991, p.7, “Incidents - Civilian Killed.” Punjab police shot and killed a civilian, Anil Kumar Thakur, in Kapurthala. SSP Jasminder Singh stated that checkpoints had been set up there based on intelligence gathered from an informant. The police registered a case against a constable and three Special Police Officers (SPOs). On June 26, 1991, the Ajit reported that Sultanpur Lodi and surrounding towns had closed for two days due to protests. Police had lathi-charged and beat a local political candidate and other protesters, who demanded the registration of a murder case against the responsible police officials. SSP Jasminder Singh stated that Anil Kumar’s family would receive the same benefits given to families of victims of militants.
Ajit, December 18, 1991, p.1 and 7, “7 Killed including 6 Militants: In November, 7 Militants Killed.” SSP Jasminder Singh reported on the killings of 7 militants during police encounters in Kapurthala in November, and did not provide any identifying information. During the counterinsurgency in Punjab, Punjab police regularly abducted people, unlawfully killed them, and then reported their killings as those of unidentified militants. The SSP also gave information on weapons recovered.
Ajit, April 8, 1992, p.9, “Police Chief’s Claim.” SSP Jasminder Singh of Faridkot stated that 2 militants had been killed in an encounter. The militants were Pargat Singh Vaishnandi and Harbans Singh Bhullar of Muktsar. Surviving family members reported to Ensaaf that Punjab Police killed Harbans Singh in an extrajudicial execution. SSP Jasminder Singh reported that each militant had a reward of 1 lakh rupees on their heads. He attributed 70 murders to Pargat Singh. The SSP further stated that Harbans Singh had been an Area Commander for the Babbar militant group and was wanted in 50 murders.
Ajit, August 11, 1992, p.5, “Incidents - Bagha Purana.” According to SSP Jasminder Singh, police killed 4 militants in 2 separate incidents. Only one militant was identified: Makhan Singh Manuke. According to the SSP, Makhan Singh died in an exchange of gunfire with militants, while in police custody. Makhan Singh had 12 murder cases registered against him. Makhan Singh’s family reported his killing to Ensaaf as an extrajudicial execution. Police had abducted him in the presence of his family.
Tribune, May 25, 1994, p.4, “HC Bar Supports Today’s Stir.” Advocate D.S. Rajput filed a petition in front of Punjab & Haryana High Court Justice V.K. Bali, calling for the transfer of the SSPs of Barnala and Sangrur (Jasminder Singh), due to their role in the kidnapping of human rights attorney Sukhwinder S. Bhatti.
Key Human Rights Reports and Documentaries

  • Sukhwinder S. Bhatti (Ensaaf): On May 12, 1994, Indian security forces abducted human rights attorney Sukhwinder Singh Bhatti in broad daylight. Security forces clandestinely detained and tortured Mr. Bhatti. Two eyewitnesses saw Mr. Bhatti in custodial detention, critically injured from torture. An inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) collected evidence directly implicating then SSP Jasminder Singh and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Surjit Singh in Mr. Bhatti's detention, torture, and disappearance. The evidence in the CBI report demonstrates that DSP Surjit Singh and SSP Jasminder Singh ran an unofficial interrogation center at Bahadur Singh Wala Qila in Sangrur, where they detained and tortured Mr. Bhatti and many others.

  • Ranjit Singh (Ensaaf, Testimonies of Truth): Paramjit Singh describes in detail how SSP Jasminder Singh tortured his father, Ranjit Singh.

  • Diljit Singh (Ensaaf, Testimonies of Truth): Diljit Singh describes how SSP Faridkot Jasminder [Jaswinder] Singh unlawfully detained him, and had him tortured, years after Punjab Police extrajudicially executed his brother Gurdeep Singh.

Key Statistics of cases directly implicating Jasminder [Jaswinder] Singh:

Victim Demographics 

Gender

100.0% Male 15
 
 
0.0% Female 0

Marital status

60.0% Not married 9
 
 
40.0% Married 6

If married, did the victim have children?

40.0% Yes 6
 


Total children surviving victims: 11

Religion

100.0% Sikh 15
 

Caste

100.0% Jat 15
 

Age

80.0% 18-33 12
 
20.0% 34-49 3
 

Education

6.7% No education 1
 
6.7% Primary school 1
 
20.0% Middle school 3
 
20.0% High school 3
 
6.7% Some college 1
 
33.3% Graduate degree 5
 
6.7% Vocational degree 1
 

Employment

40.0% Farmer/agriculture 6
 
33.3% Student 5
 
6.7% Shopkeeper 1
 
6.7% Driver (bus/truck/car) 1
 
20.0% Other 3
 

Urban / Rural

73.3% Rural 11
 
 
6.7% Urban 1

Abduction, Detention, & Torture 

Prior detentions

60.0% Yes 9
 
 
40.0% No 6

Prior torture

40.0% Yes 6
 
 
20.0% No 3

Abduction preceding enforced disappearance/extrajudicial execution

100.0% Yes 15
 
 
0.0% No 0

Security officials informed witnesses where they were taking the victim

36.4% Yes 4
 
 
90.9% No 10

Witnesses to abduction

73.3% Yes 11
 

Victim abduction location

40.0% Roadside 6
 
20.0% Bus station/stand 3
 
20.0% Police station 3
 
6.7% Friend/relative's residence 1
 
13.3% Other 2
 

Detention facility type

Data forthcoming

Preceding detention location known

80.0% Yes 12
 
 
20.0% No 3

Witnesses to detention preceding enforced disappearance/extrajudicial execution

Data forthcoming

Security official response to victim status

40.0% Denied involvement 6
 
26.7% Told family to go to another police station 4
 
13.3% Gave no response 2
 
13.3% Other 2
 
6.7% Admitted custody only 1
 
6.7% Victim had escaped 1
 

Victim presented before judge/magistrate

20.0% Yes 3
 
 
53.3% No 8

Enforced Disappearances vs. Extrajudicial Executions 

Classification

40.0% Extrajudicial executions 6
 
 
60.0% Enforced disappearances 9

Number of victims per family

100.0% 1 victim 15
 

Related incidents

0.0% Genuine encounters in family 0
 
 
100.0% No genuine encounters in family 15

Body Disposal 

Security forces returned body

0.0% Yes 0
 
0.0% Yes, but forced immediate cremation 0
 
40.0% No 6
 

Body disposal by security forces

Condition of corpse, if known

Security Forces Implicated 

Names of involved security officials known

100.0% Yes 15
 
 
0.0% No 0

Security forces uniformed

90.9% Yes 10
 
 
18.2% No 2

Type(s) of security forces involved in abduction

93.3% Punjab Police 14
 
20.0% Criminal Investigation Agency 3
 
13.3% Cat 2
 
6.7% CRPF 1
 

Type(s) of security forces involved in extrajudicial execution

40.0% Punjab police 6
 
13.3% Criminal Investigation Agency 2
 

Militancy Involvement 

Militant status

6.7% Militant 1
 
 
93.3% Non-militant 14

Non-militant, provided support to militants

20.0% Yes 3
 
 
73.3% No 11

If provided support, support was voluntary

20.0% Yes 3
 
 
0.0% No 0

Remedies & Impact 

Approached court or commission

60.0% Yes 9
 
 
40.0% No 6

Approached security officials

73.3% Yes 11
 
 
20.0% No 3

Reason the family did not pursue any kind of action

26.7% Afraid of retaliation 4
 
20.0% Believed it would have been ineffective 3
 
13.3% Didn’t know what to do 2
 
6.7% Not applicable 1
 
6.7% Couldn’t afford 1
 

Remedies desired from government

86.7% Truth commission 13
 
80.0% Criminal sanctions against those responsible 12
 
73.3% Public acknowledgement of wrongful deaths 11
 
60.0% Investigations into abuses 9
 
46.7% Monetary compensation to family 7
 
26.7% Employment 4
 
26.7% Memorial for victims 4
 
20.0% Rehabilitation services to family members 3
 
13.3% Other 2
 
6.7% Desire nothing from government 1
 

Year & District 

District

26.7% Amritsar 4
 
13.3% Gurdaspur 2
 
6.7% Kapurthala 1
 
13.3% Moga 2
 
20.0% Sangrur 3
 
20.0% Location Withheld 3
 

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
 
6.7% 1987 1
 
0.0% 1988 0
 
0.0% 1989 0
 
0.0% 1990 0
 
0.0% 1991 0
 
46.7% 1992 7
 
20.0% 1993 3
 
13.3% 1994 2
 
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
 
13.3% Year Unknown 2