Amnesty International highlights the failure of the state and central government to seriously address the problem of “disappearances” in the Punjab. The government has failed to respond to any of the cases mentioned in an AI report on “disappearances” in Punjab highlighted in 1993. Recent judgements made in a few cases by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and Supreme Court condemning Punjab police for abducting and killing people are welcomed but there is still concern for others who have “disappeared”. There have been allegations from the press and human rights organizations in the state that hundreds of bodies have been cremated by Punjab police as “unclaimed” and that many of these are the bodies of people killed in “encounters” or in police custody who were believed by relatives to have “disappeared”. AI believes that the Punjab police have been allowed to commit human rights violations with impunity and recommends the investigation of past cases and the bringing to justice of those responsible.
