Harinder Singh [Chahal]

21 documented cases directly implicating Harinder Singh [Chahal] in abduction/disappearance and/or extrajudicial execution:

Bathinda District

Bathinda Subdistrict
Jagdish Singh Male, age 43 at time of extrajudicial execution, Har Raipur Urf Bhokhri

Ludhiana District

Jagroan Subdistrict
Gurcharan Singh Male, age 36-37 at time of extrajudicial execution, Lamma
Gurdeep Singh Male, age 35-36 at time of extrajudicial execution, Mann
Gurdev Singh Male, age 16-17 at time of extrajudicial execution, Dholan
Harchand Singh Male, age 34-35 at time of extrajudicial execution, Mann
Jarnail Singh Male, age 46 at time of extrajudicial execution, Rasulpur Malla
Jasvir Singh Male, age 19 at time of extrajudicial execution, Mann
Jaswant Singh Male, age 42 at time of extrajudicial execution, Boparai Kalan
Kulwant Singh Male, age 21-22 at time of disappearance, Mann
Mukand Singh Male, age 29-30 at time of extrajudicial execution, Sherpur Khurd
Ranjit Singh Male, age 19 at time of extrajudicial execution, Mann
Sukhdev Singh Male, age 28 at time of extrajudicial execution, Mann
Raikot Subdistrict
Gurdial Singh Male, age 40 at time of extrajudicial execution, Bassian
Ujagar Singh Male, age 33 at time of extrajudicial execution, Binjal

Moga District

Moga Subdistrict
Balwinder Singh Male, age 37 at time of extrajudicial execution, Dhudike
Jagjeet Singh Male, age 25-26 at time of extrajudicial execution, Chirak
Nihal Singhwala Subdistrict
Avtar Singh Male, age 26 at time of extrajudicial execution, Raoke Kalan

Sangrur District

Malerkotla Subdistrict
Basant Singh Male, age 25 at time of extrajudicial execution, Manvi

Location Withheld

Anonymous Male, age 24 at time of extrajudicial execution, location withheld
Chamkaur Singh Male, age 19 at time of disappearance, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Nirmal Singh Male, age 22 at time of disappearance, Kolkata, West Bengal

Key statistics of cases directly implicating Harinder Singh [Chahal]:

Victim Demographics 

Gender

100.0% Male 21
 
 
0.0% Female 0

Marital status

47.6% Not married 10
 
 
52.4% Married 11

If married, did the victim have children?

47.6% Yes 10
 
 
4.8% No 1


Total children surviving victims: 24

Religion

100.0% Sikh 21
 

Caste

61.9% Jat 13
 
 
38.1% Non-Jat 8

Age

4.8% 0-17 1
 
57.1% 18-33 12
 
38.1% 34-49 8
 

Education

19.0% No education 4
 
14.3% Primary school 3
 
28.6% Middle school 6
 
23.8% High school 5
 
9.5% Some college 2
 
4.8% College degree 1
 

Employment

38.1% Farmer/agriculture 8
 
14.3% Driver (bus/truck/car) 3
 
4.8% Day labourer 1
 
4.8% Mechanic 1
 
4.8% Unemployed 1
 
38.1% Other 8
 

Urban / Rural

85.7% Rural 18
 
 
0.0% Urban 0

Abduction, Detention, & Torture 

Prior detentions

33.3% Yes 7
 
 
66.7% No 14

Prior torture

23.8% Yes 5
 
 
9.5% No 2

Abduction preceding enforced disappearance/extrajudicial execution

95.2% Yes 20
 
 
4.8% No 1

Security officials informed witnesses where they were taking the victim

20.0% Yes 3
 
 
86.7% No 13

Witnesses to abduction

71.4% Yes 15
 
 
4.8% No 1

Victim abduction location

42.9% Victim’s residence 9
 
19.0% Police station 4
 
4.8% Friend/relative's residence 1
 
4.8% Roadside 1
 
4.8% Shop/market 1
 
14.3% Other 3
 

Detention facility type

Data forthcoming

Preceding detention location known

76.2% Yes 16
 
 
19.0% No 4

Witnesses to detention preceding enforced disappearance/extrajudicial execution

Data forthcoming

Security official response to victim status

14.3% Denied involvement 3
 
9.5% Told family to go to another police station 2
 
9.5% Other 2
 
4.8% Gave no response 1
 
4.8% Admitted extrajudicial execution with no explanation 1
 
4.8% Victim killed while trying to escape 1
 

Victim presented before judge/magistrate

0.0% Yes 0
 
 
95.2% No 20

Enforced Disappearances vs. Extrajudicial Executions 

Classification

85.7% Extrajudicial executions 18
 
 
14.3% Enforced disappearances 3

Number of victims per family

81.0% 1 victim 17
 
19.0% 2 victim 4
 

Related incidents

0.0% Genuine encounters in family 0
 
 
100.0% No genuine encounters in family 21

Body Disposal 

Body disposal by security forces

14.3% Cremated the body 3
 
4.8% Dumped body in canal or river 1
 

Security forces returned body

0.0% Yes 0
 
0.0% Yes, but forced immediate cremation 0
 
85.7% No 18
 

Condition of corpse, if known

Security Forces Implicated 

Names of involved security officials known

100.0% Yes 21
 
 
0.0% No 0

Security forces uniformed

93.3% Yes 14
 
 
0.0% No 0

Type(s) of security forces involved in abduction

85.7% Punjab Police 18
 
42.9% Criminal Investigation Agency 9
 
14.3% Other 3
 

Type(s) of security forces involved in extrajudicial execution

85.7% Punjab police 18
 
47.6% Criminal Investigation Agency 10
 

Militancy Involvement 

Militant status

14.3% Militant 3
 
 
85.7% Non-militant 18

Non-militant, provided support to militants

23.8% Yes 5
 
 
57.1% No 12

If provided support, support was voluntary

14.3% Yes 3
 
 
9.5% No 2

Remedies & Impact 

Approached court or commission

38.1% Yes 8
 
 
61.9% No 13

Approached security officials

38.1% Yes 8
 
 
61.9% No 13

Reason the family did not pursue any kind of action

47.6% Afraid of retaliation 10
 
14.3% Not applicable 3
 
9.5% Didn’t know what to do 2
 
4.8% Believed it would have been ineffective 1
 
4.8% Couldn’t afford 1
 

Remedies desired from government

90.5% Monetary compensation to family 19
 
90.5% Truth commission 19
 
52.4% Employment 11
 
38.1% Investigations into abuses 8
 
33.3% Criminal sanctions against those responsible 7
 
23.8% Rehabilitation services to family members 5
 
19.0% Public acknowledgement of wrongful deaths 4
 
4.8% Memorial for victims 1
 
4.8% Desire nothing from government 1
 

Year & District 

District

4.8% Bathinda 1
 
61.9% Ludhiana 13
 
14.3% Moga 3
 
4.8% Sangrur 1
 

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
 
0.0% 1988 0
 
0.0% 1989 0
 
0.0% 1990 0
 
0.0% 1991 0
 
9.5% 1992 2
 
76.2% 1993 16
 
0.0% 1994 0
 
4.8% 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
 
9.5% Date Unknown 2
 

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