E/CN.4/2001/66 page 109 549. Kisan-ul-Din Ahmed was reportedly taken by security forces on 5 December 1999 to a school building near the town of Baramulla, in Jammu and Kashmir, where he was allegedly tortured. His mother-in-law and son were also reportedly taken by security forces and beaten. The reason for this treatment was reported to have been because he filed a case against the security forces in the High Court. 550. On 31 January 2000, Deshpal Singh, of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Indian Farmers Union) (BKU) activist, and Gurmeet Singh, a farmer, were reportedly killed in Jethuke village, Bhatinda district, in the state of Punjab, when the police opened fire on hundreds of people demonstrating about the detention of four BKU leaders. Villagers then reportedly staged a dharna (sit-in) on the railway track, demanding the immediate release of the leaders. A lathi-charge is said to have followed and tear gas was allegedly used. At this point demonstrators reportedly started throwing stones at the police, who then reportedly opened fire. The villagers started running towards their homes but the police chased them and beat them. Several people were chased into the Gurudwara (Sikh temple), which was then sealed by the police. Firing reportedly continued into the night and injured protesters were rounded up by the police and taken away. Several other demonstrators are said to have sustained injuries including bullet injuries, abrasions, injuries caused by blunt instruments and deep wounds. Several police officers were also injured. 551. On the evening of 7 March 2000, several hundred people affected by the Maheshwar dam in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh were said to be carrying out a peaceful dharna in a nearby field. The following day, over 350 people, including over 200 women, were reportedly forcibly removed and many of them arrested and detained. Several were allegedly beaten with lathis and the clothes of several women were torn. 552. Asim Chakrabarty and Vivek Sarkar, two members of the Siliguri branch of the Association for the Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) were reportedly beaten by the police on 26 March 2000. The two men went to the Siliguri police station to make a complaint to the police about a case of harassment which had been brought to them. The officer-in-charge at the police station reportedly stated that the APDR needed to be taught a lesson. He allegedly hit them with a stick. Asim Chakrabarty’s arm was allegedly twisted to the point of being broken and Vivek Sarkar was thrown in a ditch after being beaten. 553. Lieutenant Colonel Save, a retired army officer, was reportedly arrested on 8 April 2000 following incidents in Umbergaon Taluka, Gujarat, regarding the construction of a port in the village. He was allegedly beaten by the chief of the police and was assaulted with lathis during four consecutive hours. The police are believed to have tried to transfer him to the Mamta Hospital in Umbergaon. But the medical doctors are said to have refused to admit him because of the seriousness of his injuries. He was therefore transferred to Jan Seva Hospital in Vapi where he was diagnosed as having a brain haemorrhage. He was then reportedly handed over to his family who rushed him to Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai, where he is reported to have died from his injuries on 20 April 2000. Furthermore, it is reported that villagers, including Sagar Machhi, Harish Machhi and Pappubhai, as well as their lawyers, were allegedly severely assaulted after having been arrested.