US Sikh group raises reward to $20,000 for serving summons to Badal

Friday, 05/07/2013

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/us-sikh-group-raises-reward-to-20000-for-serving-summons-to-badal/82239

MILWAUKEE/ CHANDIGARH: US-based Sikh rights group, Sikhs For Justice has raised reward from $10,000 to $20,000 to anyone ready to serve federal lawsuit papers to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on his expected visit to Wisconsin.

Initially the reward money was $ 10,000 but it has been raised as the earlier reward did not helped in getting any positive leads about Badal’s itinerary.

The Sikh group had earlier filed a civil lawsuit against Badal and his deputy and son Sukhbir Badal that they ‘oversee state police force that uses torture’.

The group was unable to serve summons to Badal when he visited Wisconsin to attend wedding of minister Surjit Singh Rakhra’s niece wedding.

Now the group is offering $10,000 to any professional server or community member who serves him summons.

Chief Minister Badal’s media adviser said the case is politically motivated but he did not confirm whether he will be in US next week.

Sikhs for Justice and pro-Khalistani activists had filed a federal lawsuit last year accusing Badal for shielding police officers responsible for extra-judicial killings, torture and human rights violations against the Sikhs in Punjab under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCT).

Following SFJ complaint, US district Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on August 8 had issued summons against Badal.

The rights group later said that it will approach US court of Appeals asking for a remand to depose Badal personally before a US Federal Judge on the issue of service of summons.

Badal’s counsel had argued that the Chief Minister never received any summons from the court whereas SFJ has claimed that its authorized person had served the court summons.

The Wisconsin district court on May 17 ruled that Badal was never served with the court summons as claimed by SFJ.Judge Jynn Adelman, in his five page order said “the SFJ came out "creative" but unconvincing argument that the court summons were served to Badal, which indeed was served by Christopher Kratochvil and his brother on behalf of SFJ to another Surinderpal Singh Kalra, believing that he was the Punjab chief minister.”

The judge wrote, "I have no doubt that Christopher Kratochvil and his brother sincerely believe that they served defendant, but I conclude that they made an honest mistake, one that was understandable under the unusual circumstances of this case.”

The US State Department had testified court that Chief Minister Badal was shopping at a restaurant supply store, around 17 miles from the Oak Creek School.The judge said none of the arguments made by Sikhs for Justice are convincing to overcome the strong evidence in favour of Badal.