Harjinder Singh Jinda Harjinder Singh Jinda was a member of a Sikh or- he was moving towards his car parked across the road ganisation Khalistan Commando Force and one of the from his house in Kirti Nagar, New Delhi. The three as- two assassins of Arun Vaidya (the Chief of Indian army sailants continued firing even as Maken ran towards his at the time of Operation Blue Star and architect of house for cover. Maken’s wife Geetanjali and a visitor, Operation Blue Star). He was responsible for three Balkishan, were also caught in the firing. The assailants high-profile killings; Arjan Dass, Lalit Maken and Gen. escaped on their scooters. Lalit Maken was considered to Vaidya. He along with other members of Khalistan be involved in the killings of innocent Sikhs during 1984 Commando Force participated in Indian history’s biggest Anti-Sikh riots. In a 31-page booklet titled 'Who Are The bank robbery[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] of Rs.57.0 million ($4.5 Guilty', People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) listed million) from Punjab National Bank, Miller Gunj branch, 227 people who led the mobs, which killed up to 3,000 Ludhiana[8] to finance the campaign for a separate Sikh Sikhs over three days. Lalit Maken’s name was third state of Khalistan.[9][10] on the list.[21] A press report has indicated that someone named Bakshish Singh was also involved along with Jinda in this assassination.[22] Ranjit Singh “Gill” was arrested 1 Early life by Interpol in New Jersey, USA on 14 May 1987, a fed- eral magistrate approved his extradition on 6 February 1988[23] and he was deported back to India in February Harjinder Singh’s father’s and mother’s names are Gur- 2000 after lengthy legal cases and was sentenced to life [11] [12] nam Kaur and Gulzar Singh. Jinda had two older imprisonment on 24 February 2003. Finally his life sen- [8][13][14] brothers, Nirbhail Singh and Bhupinder Singh tence was commuted on 20 May 2009.[24] and one sister, Balvinder Kaur.[11] Harinder Singh alias Mathra Singh and Jagjit Singh were nephews of Har- [12] jinder Singh Jinda. Sikh militant Surjit Singh Penta 2.2 Assassination of General Vaidya (who committed suicide by consuming cyanide during Operation Black Thunder in the year of 1988) was a In 1984, General Arun Vaidya had designed and nephew of Harjinder Singh Jinda.[15][16][17] He belonged supervised[25] Operation Blue Star – a controversial mili- to a farmer family. tary operation ordered by Indira Gandhi, then Prime Min- He was born on 4 April 1962 in the village of Gadli, ister of India,[26] against a group of Sikh separatists in Jandiala in district Amritsar[18] and received his early June 1984 at the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the education in his native village of Gadli[19] in district Sikhs. Amritsar. After completing his early education, he en- General Vaidya had moved to Pune after his retirement rolled in Khalsa College, Amritsar.[13][18][20] from the army. On 10 August 1986, General Arun Vaidya India today described Jinda as 5'7” tall with a mole on the was shot to death by Jinda and Sukha while he was driving right side of his neck and two wounds on his right leg.[18] his car home from the market.[27] According to the police, the assailants pulled up next to his car on motor scooters and fired eight or nine shots into the car.[28] Vaidya report- 2 Participation in the Khalistan edly died instantly of head and neck wounds. His wife, who was also in the car, was wounded by four bullets in movement her back and thighs.[29] According to Indian intelligence sources, Vaidya had been the number four assassination He was completing his BA part II when Operation Blue target on lists by Sikh militants and he was one of several Star occurred. He left his studies and joined the Khalistan people killed in retaliation for Operation Blue Star.[30][31] separatist movement afterwards. Following the assassination, the Khalistan Commando Force issued a statement declaring that Vaidya had been killed in retaliation for the Operation Blue Star.[30] 2.1 Assassination of Lalit Maken Harjinder Singh “Jinda” and Sukhdev Singh Sukha along 2.3 Assassination of Arjan Dass with Ranjit Singh Gill gunned down Congress(I) Mem- ber of Parliament Lalit Maken on 31 July 1985,[8] when Congress (I) leader Arjun Dass was assassinated on 5 Sep 1 2 4 HONOURS/ ANNIVERSARIES 1985[32][33] by Jinda,[18] Sukha[34] and one other Sikh be- Akal and their political slogans of Khalistan Zindabad. cause of his involvement in 1984 Anti-Sikh riots. Ar- On 9 October 1992, early in the morning, Sukhdev Singh jan Dass’s name appeared in various affidavits submitted “Sukha” and Harjinder Singh “Jinda” were hanged un- by innocent Sikh victims to Nanavati Commission which til death in Pune Jail. The Independent World mentioned was headed by Justice G.T. Nanavati, retired Judge of “While being led from their cell to the gallows set up in the Supreme Court of India.[35] He was also identified [36] the Yerawada gaol yard, the two convicted killers shouted among organisers of the carnage. Arjun Dass was a [49] [37] slogans for Sikh independence in the Punjab”. Both of close friend of Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi. them were hanged at 4 am in Yerwada Central Jail Pune while extraordinary security was deployed at the jail and in the periphery of Pune to oppose any possible Sikh mil- 2.4 India’s biggest bank robbery itant attack. Security was also tightened all over Northern India.[50] On 13 February 1987, Mr. Jinda along with other mem- bers of Khalistan Commando Force, including its chief general Labh Singh, participated in the biggest bank rob- 3.1 Public protests bery of Indian history and robbed Rs.57.0 million (equiv- alent to $4.5 million) from Punjab National Bank, Miller The Independent World reported that “..their hanging Gunj branch, Ludhiana[8] a part of this robbed money sparked off protests by students and shop-keepers in the belonged to the Reserve Bank of India, India’s central Sikh-dominated state of Punjab” and “Security forces bank.[9][10] Per Chicago Sun Times, 12 to 15 Sikh Smil- were put on alert in New Delhi, Pune, the southern city itants dressed as policemen and armed with submachine where the two assassins were hanged, and throughout the guns and rifles escaped with nearly $4.5 million in the Punjab.”.[49] biggest bank robbery in Indian history. Indian Police of- ficials described it as 'a neat and clean operation' where no one was injured. As per Indian Express, current KCF chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar was also involved in it. 3.2 Memorial service and subsequent seizure of Golden Temple by the It was documented as “Biggest Bank Robbery” under government “Curiosities and wonders” in Limca Book of Records.[38] Other Khalistan Commando Force members who partic- On their memorial service, hundreds of troops and po- ipated with Jinda in this event were Mathra Singh,[39] lice surrounded the Golden Temple. In the early morn- Paramjit Singh Panjwar,[40] Satnam Singh Bawa,[39] Gur- ing hundreds of Sikhs were ordered to move out of the nam Singh Bundala[41] Sukhdev Singh Sukha, Daljit Golden Temple. Sikh leaders Simranjit Singh Mann, Singh Bittu,[42][43][44] Gursharan Singh Gamma[42][43][45] Parkash Singh Badal, Gurcharan Singh Tohra and 300 and Pritpal Singh[46] etc. It enabled his organisa- others were arrested in the statewide arrests. Some peo- tion Khalistan Commando Force to buy sophisticated ple were baton charged when they tried to enter this re- weapons[20] like AK-47 Rifles[47] In regards to this bank ligious place. Approximately 300 Sikhs openly resisted robbery, Los Angeles Times has mentioned that bank the police clampdown and held the 30-minute memo- robberies have been a major means of financing the Sikh rial service inside the complex while chanting slogans militants campaign for a separate state of Khalistan. hailing the assassins and in support of Sikh homeland Khalistan. Jinda and Sukha’s fathers were presented with gold medals by Golden Temple priest. Police seize 3 Arrest and death of the temple was lifted 3 hours after the memorial service[51][52] On 17 September 1986, Sukha got into an accident with a truck in Pimpri, Pune and was arrested. He was riding the same black motorcycle which was used at the time of as- 4 Honours/ anniversaries sassination of General Vaidya. Jinda was arrested at Gur- dwara Majnoo Daa Tilla, Delhi in March 1987. He was shot in the legs at the time of his arrest. During their court In October 1999, his death anniversary was celebrated in trial, despite admitting to the killing, they pled not-guilty, his village Gadli, district Amritsar, where chief of Akal justifying their actions by saying that Vaidya was “guilty Takhat Amritsar, Giani Puran Singh declared Jinda a na- of a serious crime, the punishment for which could only tional martyr while justifying his action of killing gen- [31] eral Vaidya. Some Akali leaders stayed away from this be death”. They were awarded death sentences at 2:05 [53] pm on 21 October 1989. Sukha and Jinda also wrote a let- function. ter to president of India asking for “No-Clemency” prior On 9 October 2000, representatives of all major Sikh to their hanging.[48] They welcomed their death sentences bodies, including ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, the with Sikh religious slogans of Bole So Nihal, Sat Shri SHSAD, the SGPC, the Damdami Taksal, AISSF and the 3 Dal Khalsa attended the eighth death anniversary of Har- [11] Vancouver, The (6 October 2006).