Singh

MEMORANDUM **

Jaswant Singh petitions for review of the decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) which affirmed the Immigration Judge’s (“IJ”) denial of his application for political asylum. We grant the petition for review and remand to the BIA for further consideration.

Singh claimed persecution on the basis of his Sikh religion and imputed political opinion. He described in his declaration and in his testimony at his hearings frequent visits to his family’s farm by Sikh militants. The family provided food, shelter and money because the militants were armed. After the Indian police learned through informants that Singh’s family was helping the Sikh militants, they arrested Singh and his father in December 1995, beat them with batons and leather straps and told them “Now I will teach you to stop your religious activities.” Singh’s uncle, the village mayor, obtained their release after three days, but the police officer warned “I am not finished with you as yet.”

On December 27, the Sikh militants came to Singh’s house and beat him and his father, claiming they had gone to the police. They shot Singh’s father, who was dead when Singh and his uncle brought him to the…