Harinder Singh [Chahal]

16 documented cases directly implicating Harinder Singh [Chahal] in abduction/disappearance:

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
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
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

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

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 16
 
 
0.0% Female 0

Marital status

56.2% Not married 9
 
 
43.8% Married 7

If married, did the victim have children?

37.5% Yes 6
 
 
6.2% No 1


Total children surviving victims: 16

Religion

100.0% Sikh 16
 

Caste

56.2% Jat 9
 
 
43.8% Non-Jat 7

Age

6.2% 0-17 1
 
50.0% 18-33 8
 
43.8% 34-49 7
 

Education

12.5% No education 2
 
18.8% Primary school 3
 
31.2% Middle school 5
 
25.0% High school 4
 
12.5% Some college 2
 

Employment

31.2% Farmer/agriculture 5
 
18.8% Driver (bus/truck/car) 3
 
6.2% Day labourer 1
 
6.2% Unemployed 1
 
37.5% Other 6
 

Urban / Rural

87.5% Rural 14
 
 
0.0% Urban 0

Abduction, Detention, & Torture 

Prior detentions

25.0% Yes 4
 
 
75.0% No 12

Prior torture

12.5% Yes 2
 
 
12.5% No 2

Abduction preceding enforced disappearance/extrajudicial execution

93.8% Yes 15
 
 
6.2% No 1

Security officials informed witnesses where they were taking the victim

9.1% Yes 1
 
 
100.0% No 11

Witnesses to abduction

68.8% Yes 11
 
 
6.2% No 1

Victim abduction location

37.5% Victim’s residence 6
 
12.5% Police station 2
 
6.2% Friend/relative's residence 1
 
6.2% Roadside 1
 
6.2% Shop/market 1
 
18.8% Other 3
 

Detention facility type

Data forthcoming

Preceding detention location known

75.0% Yes 12
 
 
18.8% No 3

Witnesses to detention preceding enforced disappearance/extrajudicial execution

Data forthcoming

Security official response to victim status

12.5% Other 2
 
6.2% Gave no response 1
 
6.2% Denied involvement 1
 
6.2% Admitted extrajudicial execution with no explanation 1
 
6.2% Victim killed while trying to escape 1
 
6.2% Told family to go to another police station 1
 

Victim presented before judge/magistrate

0.0% Yes 0
 
 
93.8% No 15

Enforced Disappearances vs. Extrajudicial Executions 

Classification

81.2% Extrajudicial executions 13
 
 
18.8% Enforced disappearances 3

Number of victims per family

75.0% 1 victim 12
 
25.0% 2 victim 4
 

Related incidents

0.0% Genuine encounters in family 0
 
 
100.0% No genuine encounters in family 16

Body Disposal 

Body disposal by security forces

6.2% Cremated the body 1
 

Security forces returned body

0.0% Yes 0
 
0.0% Yes, but forced immediate cremation 0
 
81.2% No 13
 

Condition of corpse, if known

Security Forces Implicated 

Names of involved security officials known

100.0% Yes 16
 
 
0.0% No 0

Security forces uniformed

100.0% Yes 11
 
 
0.0% No 0

Type(s) of security forces involved in abduction

75.0% Punjab Police 12
 
50.0% Criminal Investigation Agency 8
 
18.8% Other 3
 

Type(s) of security forces involved in extrajudicial execution

68.8% Punjab police 11
 
50.0% Criminal Investigation Agency 8
 

Militancy Involvement 

Combatant status

6.2% Combatant 1
 
 
93.8% Non-combatant 15

Non-combatant, provided support to militants

18.8% Yes 3
 
 
68.8% No 11

If provided support, support was voluntary

12.5% Yes 2
 
 
6.2% No 1

Remedies & Impact 

Approached court or commission

31.2% Yes 5
 
 
68.8% No 11

Approached security officials

31.2% Yes 5
 
 
68.8% No 11

Reason the family did not pursue any kind of action

50.0% Afraid of retaliation 8
 
12.5% Didn’t know what to do 2
 
6.2% Not applicable 1
 
6.2% Believed it would have been ineffective 1
 
6.2% Couldn’t afford 1
 

Remedies desired from government

93.8% Truth commission 15
 
87.5% Monetary compensation to family 14
 
50.0% Employment 8
 
37.5% Investigations into abuses 6
 
25.0% Rehabilitation services to family members 4
 
25.0% Criminal sanctions against those responsible 4
 
18.8% Public acknowledgement of wrongful deaths 3
 
6.2% Memorial for victims 1
 
6.2% Desire nothing from government 1
 

Year & District 

District

6.2% Bathinda 1
 
62.5% Ludhiana 10
 
18.8% Moga 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
 
0.0% 1987 0
 
0.0% 1988 0
 
0.0% 1989 0
 
0.0% 1990 0
 
0.0% 1991 0
 
12.5% 1992 2
 
75.0% 1993 12
 
0.0% 1994 0
 
6.2% 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
 
6.2% Date Unknown 1
 

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