A Labor of Love:
Contesting Impunity

In memory of Kuljit Singh Dhatt.

On July 23, 1989, Punjab Police officers abducted, tortured, and unlawfully killed 35-year old Sikh community leader Kuljit Singh Dhatt. For decades, his family has relentlessly pursued justice, attending over a hundred hearings, petitioning various courts and commissions, and enduring police harassment and intimidation of witnesses. On May 9, 2014, a judge convicted three police officers of abduction in order to murder Kuljit Singh Dhatt, sentencing them to a mere five years. The legal battle continues, now in the higher courts.

Here's a look at the strength and resilience of one family, through video interviews, photographs, and case documents, as they fought impunity for over 25 years.

A Labor of Love: Contesting Impunity

On the morning of July 23, 1989, Kuljit Singh Dhatt was on his way to the Bhogpur Sugar Mill when the Punjab Police illegally abducted him. Watch his family members and the eyewitnesses in his case discuss what happened on that fateful day.

The Report: No Stone Unturned

Read an in-depth analysis of the Kuljit Singh Dhatt case, including the role of state institutions in fabricating evidence, intimidating witnesses, protecting the perpetrators, and delaying justice.The report spotlights those who have stood by the truth, from family members to eyewitnesses. The family filed a case in September 1989 and a sessions court delivered a verdict on May 9, 2014. Learn why it took 25 years to reach a trial verdict and why justice still has not been delivered.

Read the Report

Sunday, July 23, 1989

On the morning of July 23, 1989, Kuljit Singh Dhatt was on his way to the Bhogpur Sugar Mill when the Punjab Police illegally abducted him. Watch his family members and the eyewitnesses in his case discuss what happened on that fateful day.

Photo Essay

  • In Loving Memory of Kuljit Singh Dhatt: Celebration & Resistance