Harminder Singh Nihang
Preceded byDr. Pritam Singh Sekhon
Succeeded byHarmeet Singh
7th Jathedar of Khalistan Liberation Force
In office
2009 – 18 April 2018
Personal details
BornApril 1967
village Dalli Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Died (aged 51)
Patiala central Jail, Punjab, India
NicknameMintoo

Harminder Singh Nihang (April 1967 – 18 April 2018), also known as Harminder Singh Mintoo, was a prominent Sikh militant and the 7th leader of Khalistan Liberation Force. Nihang was instrumental in reinvigorating the Khalistan Movement in the 21st Century. Nihang died in police custody.[1]

Early life

Nihang was born in April 1967 at Dalli village city Bhogpur Jalandhar district, Punjab. In the 1980s Nihang's family moved to Goa.[2]

Early militancy

Nihang joined Babbar Khalsa led by Wadhwa Singh Babbar in the 90's.[3]

In May 2007, Ram Rahim was accused of hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikhs by wearing in an advertisement attire resembling the tenth and final living Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, by using a turban with a kalgi (egret feather).[4][5] Sikh militant groups began multiple attacks against Ram Rahim for this. On 2 February 2008, Nihang masterminded[6] an attack on the head of Dera Sacha Sauda Ram Rahim.[7] Ram Rahim was attacked with an RDX laced bomb ted to a truck.[8] Ram Rahim escaped unhurt, but 11 followers were injured with 2 seriously injured.[9][10] A co-conspirator in the attack, Bakshish Singh, fled to Malaysia with the help of Nihang.[11]

Chief of Khalistan Liberation Force

In 2009 Nihang left Babbar Khalsa and revived Khalistan Liberation Force becoming its new chief.[3][12]

On 28 July 2009, KLF attacked Rashtriya Sikh Sangat (A wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) President Rulda Singh.[13] He would die in August of the same year.[14]

The same day KLF assassinated Dera Sacha Sauda, Srisa Manager Lilly Kumar in Ludhiana. Kumar was shot by 4 KLF members on motorcycles. Kumar was involved in clashes with Sikh.[15][16]

On 31 October 2009, KLF assassinated 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots main accused Dr. Budh Parkash Kashyap on the 25th anniversary of the riots.[17] A masked man entered Kashyap's clinic and stabbed him twice in the head and chest. Kahsyap was checking a patient when he was attacked.[18] The 1984 anti-Sikh riots was a series of organised pogroms[19][20][21] against Sikhs in India following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.[22][23][24] Government estimates project that about 2,800 Sikhs were killed in Delhi[21][25] and 3,350 nationwide,[26][27] whilst independent sources estimate the number of deaths at about 8,000–17,000.[28][29][30][31]

Nihang began centering his operations in Thailand and Malaysia.[32] In 2010 he stationed himself in Pakistan with aid from ISI. Nihang began establishing contacts and sleeper cells. From June 2013-May 2014, Nihang toured Europe establishing sleeper cells and creating contacts.[33] While in Italy Nihang met one Hardeep Singh Shera. He stayed at Shera's place for 21 days. Nihang attempted to convince Shera to join KLF, but Shera refused. Later Shera would change his mind and contacted Nihang asking to join KLF. Nihang accepted.[34] Nihang sent Shera to Dubai where he was trained in killing.[35]

On 7 November 2014, Nihang was arrested at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi during his return from Thailand. He was wanted in 10 terror cases at the time.[36][1] Harmeet Singh took over as acting chief of KLF in his place.[37]

Militancy from jail

Nihang, despite being in jail, masterminded targeted killings, through a phone,[38][39] of Dera Sacha Sauda, RSS, and Shiv Sena members and leaders with Harmeet. Harmeet recruited Shera and Ramandeep Singh Bagga to carry out the killings.[40][41][42] They were trained by Harmeet, and after each killing would flee the country.[41][43]

On 13 April 2015, Nihang's close associates shot Shiv Sena Punjab secretary Harvinder Soni in the stomach at 8:30 am in Fish Park. Soni managed to survive the attack. Soni had been on the hit list of militants since 2012 when he was accused of assaulting Sikh youth.[44][45][46]

In July 2015, Khalistan Liberation Force mailed letters to seven Shiv Sena leaders including Sanjeev Ghanauli, Rajeev Tandon, Rakesh Arora, Amit Arora, Rubal Sandhu, Sachin Ghanauli, and Rajesh Palta that gave a last warning for them to leave Punjab.[47]

On 3 August 2015, president of the Punjab wing of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Samiti, Manish Sood, was killed. He was shot dead by his guard. Hindu leaders claimed KLF paid the guard to kill Sood. They claimed Sood had been receiving death threats from KLF after he attempted to attack Jagtar Singh Hawara while Hawara was heading to court. Sood had previously pulled down posters showing Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Police denied KLF being involved.[48] Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Samiti, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and certain BJP leaders and members made a call for bandh and shops to be closed in Sirhind to protest the killing.[49]

On 18 January 2016, Shera and Bagga on a motorcycle fired gun shots at new Kidwai Nagar Park in Ludhiana. The place was to host a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh shakha (assembly) later in the day. No one was injured in the firing as the venue was vacant at the time of the attack.[50][51][52]

On 19 January 2016, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Naresh Kumar shot at and injured by Shera and Bagga at Kidwai Nagar's Shaheedi Park in Ludhiana city.[53][41]

On 3 February 2016, Amit Arora, a Shiv Sena leader, was attacked by Shera and Bagga while he was sitting in his car in Ludhiana.[54] Bagga fired, but missed his shot. Since Shera and Bagga were missing their shots they were trained to be "perfect" at shooting.[41]

On 23 April 2016, Durga Parsad Gupta was shot dead by Bagga and Shera in Khanna city. He was the President of Mazdoor Sena, labour wing of Shiv Sena Punjab.[55][56][57]

On 6 August 2016, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Punjab Vice-president and retired Brigadier, Jagdish Gagneja was shot at by Bagga and Shea in Chandigarh. He was admitted to the hospital and died on 22 September.[58][59][60][41]

On 27 November 2016, Nihang escaped from maximum security Nabha jail with 5 accomplices. 15 gangsters, who were dressed as police officers, opened fire on security guards in the prison before freeing Nihang and 5 others.[61] Nihang was recaptured a day later.[62][63] The Hindustan Times described the escape as, "The daring act, the kind of which was never seen even during the heydays of militancy in Punjab, had rocked the nation."[64]

On 14 January 2017, Amit Sharma religious preacher, president of Hindu Takht and political activist of Indian National Congress killed in Ludhiana city by Bagga and Shera.[65][66][67][41]

On 24 February 2017, Dera Sacha Sauda followers Satpal Kumar and his son Ramesh Kumar were killed at a naam charcha ghar (prayer hall) in Jagera village near Malaudh by Bagga and Shera.[68][69][41] Satpal was also a Shiv Sena leader.[57]

On 15 July 2017, Sultan Masih, a pastor at Temple of God church in Ludhiana, was shot dead by Bagga and Shera who fired multiple shots killing him on the spot.[70][71][41]

In September 2017 Nihang was acquitted in a case of planting bombs at the Nabha LPG bottling plant.[72]

On 17 October 2017, RSS and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravinder Gosai was shot dead in Ludhiana by Bagga and Shera. He was the RSS regional leader of Ludhiana.[73][74][41] In the escape Shera and Bagga avoided all CCTV cameras. The bike used in the killing had been stolen a week later and would be found abandoned by police.[75]

On 23 October 2017, police put a reward of 5,000,0000 rupees and a job as Sub-Inspector for information to solve the killings.[75]

After a massive manhunt in November 2017, Shera and Bagga were arrested by police which brought the killings to an end.[41][76] Nihang would never be charged with any of the killings, because the NIA filed the chargesheet after Nihang's death.[38]

On 6 January 2018, Nihang went on a hunger strike alleging that his life was under threat from jail authorities.[77]

Death

Nihang was in the Patiala Jail for over a year. On 18 April 2018, at 51 years old, Nihang died in his cell, according to jail officials.[1] Reports say that Nihang died due to cardiac arrest, but various Orthodox Sikhs have questioned this claim.[1] Nihang was succeeded by Harmeet Singh.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "KLF chief Harminder Singh Mintoo dies of cardiac arrest in Patiala". The Times of India. 2018-04-18. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  2. ↑ "Punjab police arrests KLF chief Harminder Mintu". Hindustan Times. 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  3. 1 2 "Links With ISI, Multiple Murders? Here's All You Need To Know About Harminder Singh Mintoo". ScoopWhoop. 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  4. ↑ "Radical Sikh Groups Oppose Akal Takht Pardon to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh". NDTV.com. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  5. ↑ Chopra, Radhika (12 March 2012). Militant and Migrant: The Politics and Social History of Punjab. Routledge. ISBN 9781136704345 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ "Armed men storm Nabha Jail, take away KLF chief Harminder Mintoo". The Economic Times. 2016-11-28. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  7. ↑ "KCF planned attack on dera chief, RDX used in explosion". Punjabnewsline.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  8. ↑ "The baba and the bomb". India Today. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  9. ↑ "Karnal court holds seven guilty of attacking Dera Sacha Sauda chief". Hindustan Times. 2012-09-12. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  10. ↑ "Attack on Dera cavalcade, chief Ram Rahim unhurt". The Times of India. 2008-02-02. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
  11. ↑ "Karnal court holds seven guilty of attacking Dera Sacha Sauda chief". Hindustan Times. 2012-09-12. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  12. ↑ "Nabha jailbreak: Who is Harminder Singh Mintoo". India Today. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  13. ↑ "Punjab News | Breaking News | Latest Online News". Punjabnewsline.com. Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  14. ↑ "Explained: Over a decade after Sikh Sangat leader's murder, why are authorities struggling to bring guilty to book". The Indian Express. 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  15. ↑ "Dera Sirsa follower who attacked Sikhs shot dead". 30 July 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011.
  16. ↑ "Tension erupts after Dera follower's killing in Punjab". Hindustan Times. 2009-07-28. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  17. ↑ "Punjab News | Breaking News | Latest Online News". Punjabnewsline.com. Archived from the original on 15 August 2010. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  18. ↑ "Masked man killed doc who was acquitted in 1984 riots case". The Times of India. 2009-11-02. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  19. ↑ State pogroms glossed over. The Times of India. 31 December 2005.
  20. ↑ "Anti-Sikh riots a pogrom: Khushwant". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  21. 1 2 Bedi, Rahul (1 November 2009). "Indira Gandhi's death remembered". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 2 November 2009. The 25th anniversary of Indira Gandhi's assassination revives stark memories of some 3,000 Sikhs killed brutally in the orderly pogrom that followed her killing
  22. ↑ Jeffrey M. Shaw PhD; Timothy J. Demy PhD (27 March 2017). War and Religion: An Encyclopedia of Faith and Conflict [3 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 129. ISBN 978-1610695176. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  23. ↑ Paul R. Brass (October 1996). Riots and Pogroms. NYU Press. p. 203. ISBN 978-0814712825. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  24. ↑ Kaur, Jaskaran; Crossette, Barbara (2006). Twenty years of impunity: the November 1984 pogroms of Sikhs in India (PDF) (2nd ed.). Portland, OR: Ensaaf. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-9787073-0-9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  25. ↑ "Report:Justice Nanavati Commission of Inquiry" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  26. ↑ "What Delhi HC Order on 1984 Anti-Sikh Pogrom Says About 2002 Gujarat Riots". Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  27. ↑ "Why Gujarat 2002 Finds Mention in 1984 Riots Court Order on Sajjan Kumar". Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  28. ↑ Joseph, Paul (11 October 2016). The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives. SAGE. p. 433. ISBN 978-1483359885. around 17,000 Sikhs were burned alive or killed
  29. ↑ Nelson, Dean (30 January 2014). "Delhi to reopen inquiry in to massacre of Sikhs in 1984 riots". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  30. ↑ "Jagdish Tytler's role in 1984 anti-Sikh riots to be re-investigated". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  31. ↑ Pillalamarri, Akhilesh. "India's Anti-Sikh Riots, 30 Years On". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  32. ↑ "Nabha jail escapee KLF member Harminder Mintu dies in jail".
  33. ↑ "Chief of Khalistan Liberation Force Harminder Singh arrested". The Economic Times. 2014-11-07. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  34. ↑ "Targeted killings in Punjab: Hardeep met Mintoo in Italy three years ago, refused to join KLF, says probe team". The Indian Express. 2017-11-11. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  35. ↑ Ohri, Raghav (2017-12-08). "Foreign hand behind Punjab killings: NIA". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  36. ↑ "Khalistani militant Harminder Singh Mintoo, who escaped from Punjab jail, sent to 7-day police custody". The Indian Express. 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  37. ↑ "Top Khalistani leader 'Happy PhD' killed near Lahore: Officials". Hindustan Times. 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  38. 1 2 "Targeted killings in Punjab: NIA files common chargesheet in two cases". Hindustan Times. 2018-05-15. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  39. ↑ "How the Khalistan Liberation Force 'planned and executed' the murder of an RSS activist".
  40. ↑ "Top Khalistani leader 'Happy PhD' killed near Lahore: Officials". Hindustan Times. 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Service, Tribune News. "Shera involved in 7 killings: Cops". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
  42. ↑ Service, Tribune News. "15 chargesheeted in Gosain murder case". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  43. ↑ "Men behind Punjab killings linked to Rulda Singh murder: DGP". The Times of India. 2017-11-18. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  44. ↑ "Punjab Shiv Sena leader Harvinder Soni shot at, seriously injured". Hindustan Times. 2015-04-12. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  45. ↑ "NIA declared a reward of Rs 10 lakh on Kashmir Singh Galwandi". The Indian Express. 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  46. ↑ "Shiv Sena leader shot at in Gurdaspur". The Times of India. 2015-04-13. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  47. ↑ "Khalistan Liberation Force issues death threat to Shiv Sena leaders". India Today. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  48. ↑ "Hindu outfit leader's death: Police reject Khalistan role". The Indian Express. 2015-08-06. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  49. ↑ "Hindu body blames Khalistani outfit for Punjab unit chief's murder". Hindustan Times. 2015-08-04. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  50. ↑ "Shots fired at RSS Shakha ground in Ludhiana, none hurt". Tribuneindia.com. 2016-01-18. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
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  57. 1 2 "Khalistan Liberation Force behind killings of 2 Shiv Sena leaders in Punjab". Hindustan Times. 2018-05-20. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  58. ↑ "Punjab: Senior RSS leader Brig (retd) Jagdish Gagneja shot at, critical". Dnaindia.com. 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  59. ↑ India PTI Sep 22, 2016 14:15:19 IST (2016-09-22). "RSS leader Jagdish Gagneja passes away, senior BJP members pay last respects". Firstpost. Retrieved 2018-05-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  60. ↑ "Jagdish Gagneja: A low-profile, yet powerful RSS leader in Punjab | punjab | top". Hindustan Times. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  61. ↑ "Nabha jailbreak: 22 accused, including 3 escapees, held guilty". The Indian Express. 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  62. ↑ "All you need to know about Harminder Singh Mintoo and the Khalistan Liberation Force | The Indian Express". 2018-10-19. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 2023-04-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  63. ↑ "KLF chief Harminder Mintoo dies of cardiac arrest in Patiala jail; probe ordered".
  64. ↑ "Nabha jailbreak: A year later two escapees among 8 accused still on the run". Hindustan Times. 2017-11-26. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  65. ↑ "Hindu organisation leader shot dead in Ludhiana". The Indian Express. 2017-01-15. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  66. ↑ "Hindu organisation leader shot dead in Ludhiana | Ludhiana News - Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2017-01-14. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  67. ↑ "NIA files chargesheet against three accused in Amit Sharma killing case". zeenews.india.com. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  68. ↑ "Video | 2 Dera Sacha Sauda followers shot dead in Khanna village, cops suspect Sikh radicals | punjab | top". Hindustan Times. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  69. ↑ "Dera followers' murder: After death of father, grandpa, this 8-year-old stares at uncertain future | punjab | ludhiana". Hindustan Times. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  70. ↑ "Pastor shot dead outside Ludhiana church". Tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  71. ↑ "Ludhiana pastor killing: Punjab CM gives widow Rs 5 lakh, police job to son". The Indian Express. 2017-07-16. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  72. ↑ "KLF chief Mintoo acquitted in hawala cas".
  73. ↑ "RSS leader Ravinder Gosai shot dead in Ludhiana | punjab | top". Hindustan Times. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  74. ↑ "RSS Leader Shot Dead in Punjab While Returning From 'Shakha'". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  75. 1 2 "`50 Lakh, SI's post for clue to RSS leader's murder". The Times of India. 2017-10-23. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  76. ↑ "Bushy brows, lion tattoo on chest did Shera in". Tribuneindia.com. 2017-11-13. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  77. ↑ Singh, Parmjeet (2018-01-06). "Alleging Life Threat from Jail Authorities, Hariminder Singh Mintoo begins Hunger Strike in Patiala Jail". Sikh Siyasat News. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
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