Alive or Dead?

This question haunts thousands of families across Punjab.

Ensaaf documents Crimes Against Humanity committed by the Government of India.

We hold perpetrators accountable and work with survivors to advocate for their rights.

Beginning in the 1980s, the Government of India began violently repressing Sikhs in the state of Punjab and beyond.

India targeted Sikhs, a minority population, for mobilizing in defense of their cultural, economic, and environmental rights.

In a campaign of terror, India’s security forces committed widespread and systematic abuses, torturing, killing, and forcibly disappearing tens of thousands of people.

Countless families continue to live with the trauma of their experiences, tormented by the silence surrounding the true fate of their loved ones.

Every day without answers deepens their anguish, as survivors are left to wonder if "disappeared" family members are alive or dead. India refuses to investigate or prosecute the architects of these crimes.

Ensaaf Means

Justice

The Government of India and

Crimes Against Humanity

Beginning in the early 1980s, under the pretext of quelling an insurgency, India pursued "the most extreme example of a policy in which the end appeared to justify any and all means, including torture and murder." – HRW & PHR

Ensaaf has documented thousands of widespread and systematic abuses in Punjab.

4455

Unlawful Killings

843

Enforced Disappearances

~25000

Taken by Violence

12000+

Villages Impacted

We’ve documented only a fraction of the violent deaths from this period.

These Crimes Against Humanity were a sustained attack on a minority population, not a series of individual, unconnected crimes.

For surviving family members, enforced disappearances violate layers of internationally recognized rights, including their right to truth, family integrity, justice, and the dignity of performing religious or cultural rites for their loved ones.

Enforced disappearances are considered ongoing crimes until the fate of the victims is revealed.

“I live in two worlds, that of the living and that of the dead.”

Voicing Unspeakable Truths

India’s security forces created an enduring climate of fear, suppressing generations in Punjab. The state continues to use extrajudicial violence—both within India and beyond its borders—to silence dissent. No one is safe.

Puran Kaur

Female

They started walking through the fields, the army opened fire. My grandmother was beside me, chanting Waheguru-Waheguru, but soon her voice ceased. After a final round of firing and silence, I found my grandmother had been shot from behind through the mouth.

Extrajudicial Execution

June 5, 1984

Jaswinder Singh

Male

Despite bringing clothes for my son, they didn’t allow me to see him, they only returned his blood-stained vest. Even today, police inquiries regarding my son continue to haunt us. The vehicle that took my son had the number DEC 1871. Our plea for justice remains unanswered, and we continue to wait for any information on our son.

Enforced Disappearance

March 30, 1989

Jagdev Singh

Male

Our family has a long history of contributing to the community and has faced continuous persecution. Jagdev Singh was a joyful person, committed to truth and spirituality. We seek justice from the government and an end to the oppression so we can live our lives in peace.

Extrajudicial Execution

April 6, 1989

Gurmeet Singh

Male

Gurmeet Singh was a brave soul, known for his cheerful nature and intelligence. His untimely death, resulting from police torture, and the subsequent efforts to cover up the cause of his death have left our family in a state of perpetual grief and seeking justice.

Extrajudicial Execution

July 11, 1989

Darshan Singh

Male

Police captured Darshan Singh alive in a cotton field, tied his arms behind his back, and shot him twice, once in the head and once in the chest.

Extrajudicial Execution

August 24, 1989

Gurjit Singh

Male

The police and CRPF opened indiscriminate fire on the children serving there, resulting in the martyrdom of my ten-year-old son, Gurjit Singh, on the spot, along with injuries to several other children.

Extrajudicial Execution

November 14, 1989

Gurnam Singh

Male

The person shared in the letter that police had severely beaten both Mata [mother] and Gurnam, and broken Gurnam’s arm and left Mata unable to speak. Gurnam pleaded for Mata’s release, claiming her innocence.

Extrajudicial Execution

December 4, 1989

Balbir Singh

Male

My husband's face was so disfigured by bullets that it was unrecognizable. We identified them by some unique signs and performed the last rites for Balvinder and seven family members in a common cremation ground.

Extrajudicial Execution

July 9, 1990

Satnam Singh

Male

Satnam Singh had a very kind nature. He was well-known, loved and respected in our village and about 25-30 surrounding villages. The police subjected him to extreme torture in the station; they first cut off his fingers, then his hands, and severely beat him. Two days later, they staged a fake encounter near the village of Buriya Sainiyan.

Extrajudicial Execution

December 9, 1990

Balvir Singh

Male

We learned that they broke his legs and arms and shot him in the eyes. They then took him to a local junction, staged an encounter, and killed him. We never received my son's body, nor do we know what was done with it.

Extrajudicial Execution

February 1, 1991

Sarbjit Singh

Male

To this day, I have no information about Sarabjit's fate. My elder son, who was very ill, also passed away due to lack of medical treatment. My life has been filled with sorrow, and I still search for Sarabjit, wondering if he is alive and where he might be.

Extrajudicial Execution

March 1, 1991

Rajbir Kaur

Female

Puhla also shot and killed my uncle's wife and their three children. The children's ages at that time were 7 years, 4 years, and 11 months. Puhla gathered them in a corner of the house and shot them.

Extrajudicial Execution

June 1, 1991

Dharam Singh

Male

Police tied him to the back of a vehicle and dragged him. They gouged out his eyes, and removed his scalp, along with his hair. They tortured him for three days and eventually staged a fake police encounter and killed him.

Extrajudicial Execution

July 29, 1991

Dewarki Kaur

Female

The village Granthi saw . . . the police enter our home and shoot my mother, my niece, my sister-in-law, and my grandson before setting the house on fire. When villagers gathered after seeing the smoke and opened the door, they found everyone dead, with my grandson and mother's bodies burned.

Extrajudicial Execution

August 31, 1991

Amarjit Singh

Male

Every time police arrested Amarjit Singh, they brutally tortured him. None of our relatives were willing to shelter us due to fear of police retaliation. We lived in hiding at various places, receiving help from some good families . . . .

Extrajudicial Execution

October 31, 1991

Narayan Singh

Male

My son was kind-hearted and loved by all. The police have wronged us by abducting and disappearing my son. I still seek justice today, hoping to confirm SHO Amrik Singh's involvement in my son's disappearance so that I can take legal action and possibly find some resolution.

Enforced Disappearance

October 15, 1992

Gurdev Singh Kaunke

Male

I demand the government reveal the truth about my husband's fate, the treatment of his body, and that those responsible be held accountable for their actions. My husband was a true martyr who spent his life serving others and standing for justice.

Extrajudicial Execution

January 1, 1993

Balwinder Singh

Male

We wanted to file a case in court for my son's death, but due to lack of funds, we couldn't pursue any action. My son had a great nature; he greeted everyone with a smile and was very hardworking. We demand justice.

Extrajudicial Execution

January 20, 1993

Sukhwinder Singh Bhatti

Male

SSP Jasminder Singh threatened Mr Bhatti. . . . If he refused to stop his work, the SSP ordered the other police officials to teach Mr. Bhatti a lesson, as the police had done with other Punjab human rights attorneys.

Enforced Disappearance

May 12, 1994

In a deadly cascade of abuses, the Government of India’s persecution of Sikhs remains uniquely cruel. Arbitrary detentions escalated into torture, extrajudicial executions, and enforced disappearances.

We work with survivors to end impunity for these atrocities.

Impunity, the refusal to hold perpetrators accountable, perpetuates gross human rights violations.

When the state denies responsibility for its crimes, it continually violates victims’ and survivors’ rights to truth, justice, and reparations

India has entrenched a culture of impunity by allowing perpetrators to remain in power and evade accountability.

Twenty years ago, Ensaaf recognized that India would continue committing atrocities unless it was compelled to bring perpetrators to justice and reform its laws and institutions. By documenting victim and survivor testimonies, Ensaaf has assembled a body of evidence that establishes state responsibility and lays the foundation for accountability.

Our Next 20 Years

Transforming Data into Justice

For two decades, Ensaaf methodically documented gross human rights violations, navigating a dangerous landscape to map atrocities across Punjab.

Today, we're using that record to challenge denial, drive advocacy, and pursue accountability.

Responsibility & Reparations

Breaking the Cycle of Impunity

We leverage our evidence to set new precedents on reparations for crimes against humanity.

We secure judgments against perpetrators for their command responsibility to embed fundamental human rights protections within India’s legal framework.

Redressing these Crimes Against Humanity, we will end India’s culture of impunity and deter future atrocities.

A Global Human Rights Movement

Ensaaf has won key victories and established an international reputation for innovative and effective advocacy, working with India's preeminent human rights defenders and the world's foremost human rights organizations.