After spending 26 years and 6 months of his life in jail, Bhai Gurdeep Singh Kheira was released on parole from Amristar Central Jail for 28 days. On his release, his father Banta Singh, former Jathedar of the Sri Akaal Takhat Singh Sahib, Bhai Jasbir Singh Khalsa, Bhai Ragbir Singh UK head of International Panthic Dal, Avtar Singh Jallabaad member of the Working Committee Dal Khalsa, and prominent community service worker Master Harpal Singh Varka, were there to welcome him. Bhai Gurdeep Singh Kheira went straight to Sri Harmandir Sahib to give his thanks, where many leaders from numerous Sikh organisations were there to welcome him.
On addressing the press, Bhai Gurdeep Singh said that Sikhs could still not expect any justice as the law of the land was not being applied equally for Sikhs. He said that on one hand the government of India had looked the other way and gone against the letter of the law and shortened Sanjay Dutt’s prison sentence as his father had been a member of parliament. For Sanjay Datt the TADA law was not applied even though he had been caught in possession of an AK56 riffle whereas for Sikhs, no concessions of relief were given whatsoever. Bhai Gurdeep Singh Ji said that in his own case both the Kanatak and Delhi Police were completely unsuccessful in proving that he had ever possessed any explosive equipment or even explosive making equipment yet they still charged him under the explosives and TADA act. Bhai Gurdeep Singh Ji said that he had always carried out his duties whether that be as a family member, party member or even as prisoner whilst in Jail. He said that throughout his 25 years in jail he had never given any prison employees or officials any cause for complaint had complied to all rules and regulations. He said that even in the days when Punjab was being pillaged there was no case against him. Bhai Khera said that time and time again Sikh Organisations had raised their voices to try and get him released.
Bhai Gurdeep Singh was arrested in Delhi on 19 October 1990 and by the 6 December 1990 the Karnatak Administration had claimed that they caught him in possession of explosive equipment and charged him under the TADA Act. For 6 years Bhai Gurdeep Singh Ji was made to attend numerous court cases after which he was given a life sentence and locked behind bars in Karnatak’s Gulbargh Jail. The sentence given in respect of the Delhi Police claim was completed in 2010 after which point only he Karnatak Police’s claim kept him in jail. It was after the commencement of the hunger strike of Bapu Surat Singh Ji that first Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar was transferred from Dehli Jail to Amristar Jail and then on the 26 June 2015 Bhai Gurdeep Singh Ji was also transferred to Amristar Jail from where he got parole. During Bhai Gurdeep Singh Ji’s incarceration in various jails, Bhai Gurdeep Singh Ji had received support from the former Jathedar of the Sri Akal Takhat Singh Sahib, Bhai Jasvir Singh Ji Khalsa, Sikh Relief U.K.
The Delhi Gurdwara Committee and International Panthic Dal. A delegation from International Panthic Dal had arrived in Punjab on a mission to get Sikh Policital Prisoners released. Under the lead of Bhai Ragbir Singh Ji the delegation had met with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and raised the issue of releasing Sikh Political Prisoners. The Deputy Chief Minister had given the delegation assurance that his administration was working hard to get Bhai Gurdeep Singh Khera and Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar released as quickly as possible.
