According to the attached 1 September 1993 Agence France Presse (AFP) report, the "kale kachchewale" (black underwear wallahs) is a name given by Punjabis to "a slippery gang of marauders who allegedly prowl the countryside clad only in black underwear." Reports of sightings of gang members first surfaced in mid-August 1993 and rumours of their existence "spread like wildfire" in Punjab (ibid.). The gang was blamed for kidnappings, robberies and rapes, but police had not captured any members (ibid.). According to this AFP report, some villagers and political members accused the police of being "behind the scare" and police retaliated, claiming that militant sympathizers had "engineered the rumours" (ibid.).

The 25 September 1997 attachment from the Delhi daily newspaper The Times of India refers to a 24-member gang of criminals known as the "kale kachchewale," who used to commit robberies in the rural areas of Punjab, including Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur, while wearing the black garb of police commandos. On 24 September 1997 nine gang members were arrested in Sekhwan village (ibid.). According to The Times of India, members of the gang were nomadic tribals from outside Punjab; eight were female members (25 Sept. 1997). The captured gang leader stated that each member carried a police uniform while involved in an operation (ibid.). He also admitted to having carried out similar robberies in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh (ibid.).

Corroborating and/or additional information on the "kale kachchewale" could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 1 September 1993. "Fear of 'Black Underwear' Gang Gives Sleepless Nights to Punjabis." (NEXIS)

The Times of India [Delhi]. 25 September 1997. Ajay Bharadwaj. "Nomads Posing as Commandos Held." [Internet]

home4.htm> [Accessed 25 Sept. 1997]

Attachments

Agence France Presse (AFP). 1 September 1993. "Fear of 'Black Underwear' Gang Gives Sleepless Nights to Punjabis." (NEXIS)

The Times of India [Delhi]. 25 September 1997. Ajay Bharadwaj. "Nomads Posing as Commandos Held." [Internet]

home4.htm> [Accessed 25 Sept. 1997]

Additional Sources Consulted

Amnesty International Report 1997. 1997.

Asian Survey [Berkeley, Calif.]. Monthly. May 1996-August 1997.

Asiaweek [Hong Kong]. Weekly. July-December 1996.
Canada-Asia Working Group (CAWG), Toronto. 10 March-18 April 1997.

Human Rights in Asia: Submission Prepared for the 53rd Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Geneva.

_____. 18 March-26 April 1997.

Human Rights in Asia: Submission Prepared for the 52nd Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Geneva.

DIRB. June 1997.

Human Rights Information Package: India.

Human Rights in Developing Countries Yearbook 1996. 1996.

Human Rights Watch World Report 1997. 1996.

India Today [Delhi]. Weekly. July 1996-present.

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. Monthly. January 1996-June 1997.

Resource Centre. Indexed Media Review [Ottawa]. Weekly. July 1996-present.

_____. "India" country file. January 1996-present.

_____. "India: Amnesty International" country file. January 1996-present.

Electronic sources: Internet, IRB Databases.