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Sikh youth dead in Austrian prison
WSN Network 

GURDASPUR: Gagandeep Singh, a 25-year-old Punjab origin youth who was among 80 other Punjabis, mostly Sikhs, on hunger strike in an Austrian jail since September 7, died there on September 14.

Sources in Austria say the Punjabis had secured permission to stay in Austria, but since the attack on Sant Niranjan Dass in Vienna, the deportation of Indians is on again.

Gagandeep from village Muradpur in district Gurdaspur had entered Italy six-seven years ago and moved to Austria about three years ago. His father Nirmal Singh mortgaged his small farmland and house to secure a loan to send him abroad.

The remittances restored his ownership of land and house but the news from the Austrian jail crushed the family.

When contacted, Gagandeep's uncle Rajinder Singh said the young man had been arrested in Austria on August 4. Gagandeep thought his arrest was over hitting the vehicle of an Austrian citizen with his car, but he was wrong.

Rajinder alleged the Austrian police had forced the other Punjabis in jail to sign the exit forms. He claimed Gagandeep had withdrawn 1,300 euros from a bank for his return to India before his arrest.

The family is unable to bear the expense of bringing back the body of Gagandeep and has sought help from the Government of India, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

30 September 2009
 

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