Op/Ed – After Physical & Mental Torture: Why Indian Authorities Must Execute Prof. Bhullar - Background of Prof. Bhullar's Case; Along with Journey from Germany to Tihar
      The rejection of Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar’s mercy petition has undoubtedly disturbed the entire Sikh Nation. Prof. Davinderpal Singh was charged with the killing of 9 bystanders while conspiring to assassinate Maninderjit “Bitta”, chairman of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front.  He has already spent 18 years in police custody after being deported from Germany. In this article, we aim to clear doubts over Prof. Bhullar’s involvement in various criminal activities and shed light over why the Indian authorities must execute him. Background – From Germany to Tihar Jail Today many know of Prof. Bhullar and the threat he faces in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail but very few know about his past.
 Before being framed by the Punjab Police for his involvement in the assassination of Sumedh Saini (then Senior Superintendent of Police at Chandigarh), Prof. Bhullar led a normal life like other Punjabis during the early 90s.  He taught at the Guru Nanak Engineering College in Ludhiana. In August 1991, Punjab Police sought the arrest of Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and his accomplice Balwant Singh Multani in the Sumedh Saini case.  Although Saini escaped the bomb explosion, his body guards were killed. The police force was unable to find Bhullar; however they abducted and killed his father, uncle and Multani.  
Bhullar knew that if he was arrested by the Punjab Police, he too would face risk of being murdered.  In the meantime, another bomb blast took place in the Capital which aimed to assassinate Maninderjit Bitta.  Punjab Police was already looking for Prof. Bhullar at this time and since the incident in New Delhi was alleged to show similar patterns of attack, Delhi Police also issued arrest warrants for Bhullar. Prof. Bhullar pleaded innocence in both
cases however feared unfair trial. In order to escape the threat of execution, he traveled to and applied for political asylum in Germany. His asylum plea was denied. The following key points are important to note at this point -
1. Although Prof. Bhullar and his accomplice were named as key suspects in the 1991 Sumedh Saini case, they were later acquitted.  While Bhullar had traveled to Germany, his father and uncle, along with Multani, had already been killed by the Punjab Police during “interrogations”.
2. Two years after deporting Bhullar back to New Delhi, a Frankfurt court ruled that the deportation was a mistake and illegal under German law since it forbids deportation to countries were death penalty can be awarded.
Unlawful Trial and Forceful Confessions At time of deportation in 1995, Germany had asked Indian authorities to not try Prof. Davinderpal Singh under the inhumane and notorious TADA law and not grant death penalty to him.  Although these verbal requests were agreed upon, India backed out and tried Prof. Bhullar under TADA which had in fact lapsed before the court hearings were initiated. Note: TADA was first imposed in 1987 to prevent “terrorist” activities in Punjab.  It continued to be leveraged heavily and before being lapsed, over 76,000 persons had been tried under it.  
The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities law permits detainment without trial or charge and the word “disruptive” is defined to also include “peaceful expression of political views”[i]. This law has been heavily criticized by human rights organizations, including Amnesty International.  Although the law has lapsed, it continues to be used in cases which are pending since 1995. Shortly after being deported, Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar’s “confessions” sent shocks across the Sikh Nation.  As per the signed papers, Prof. Bhullar had “fully” accepted his involvement in Bitta’s assassination plot.  
Three months later, Prof. Bhullar appealed to the court that he was brutally tortured and forcibly made to sign on blank pieces of paper on which his confessions were typed in his absence.  Bhullar continued to be detained without trial until 2000, which was permitted by TADA.  A total of 133 witnesses were produced in court; however none identified him as a perpetrator in the New Delhi  bomb blast.  In 2001, Bhullar was convicted and awarded death sentence solely on the basis of forceful and fabricated confessions.
Amnesty International widely condemned the unfair trial of Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar.  In 2001, a Supreme Court judge presiding on a three judge panel acquitted him while two other upheld his conviction.[ii] Why the Execution of Prof. Bhullar Must Be Carried Out [caption id="attachment_7331" align="alignleft" width="333"] Recent picture of Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar[/caption] After facing immense torture for over 18 years and continued mental suffering since 1991, Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar faces immediate execution threat at the behest of the “World’s largest Democracy”, of which he is a citizen.  During the course of the past two decades, Prof. Bhullar has been both physically and mentally unstable.
 While Indian newspapers are boasting Prof. Bhullar as a "dreaded terrorist", his recent pictures show him unable to walk and he is incapable of fully understanding the consequences of his court sentence. After going through the case history of Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, many are left perplexed why an innocent man charged via unfair trial can be awarded the death sentence.
 But for the Indian Government, his execution is a must as it upholds the very principle the country has stood for since its independence from the British.  India must and always work to disrupt the minorities.  By allowing Bhullar to remain alive, the corrupt justice system of Indian Government faces the threat of being exposed.  For the reason that the truth about this case must not prevail, Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar faces such a fate.
i. Abdication of Responsibility: The Commonwealth and Human Rights (October 1991)
ii. India: Amnesty International calls for death sentence on Devender Pal Singh not to be carried out (June 2011)