Who was Khalistan leader Gajinder Singh? Accused of hijacking Indian Airlines flight to Lahore in 1981

New Delhi: Gajinder Singh, a prominent figure in the pro-Khalistan movement and founder of Dal Khalsa, has reportedly passed away in Pakistan due to complications from heart disease. His death was confirmed by separatist sources who shared that Singh had been hospitalized for an extended period prior to his demise. Since 1996, Indian security agencies had been actively seeking Gajinder Singh, who fled to Germany initially but was subsequently barred entry following objections from India. He later moved to Pakistan, where his presence was confirmed publicly after a social media post in 2021, revealing his location at Gurdwara Punjab Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Punjab province.

Co-founder of the Dal Khalsa 

A co-founder of the radical group Dal Khalsa, Gajinder Singh was listed among the 20 most wanted terrorists in 2002. He was one of the five individuals who hijacked Indian Airlines. 

Notorious hijacking incident

Gajinder Singh gained infamy for his role in the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane on 29 September 1981. The flight, en route from Delhi to Amritsar, was diverted to Lahore by Singh and his associates. They demanded a ransom of $500,000 from the Indian government, along with the release of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other extremists.

Spent 14 years in jail 

He spent 14 years in a Pakistani prison for the hijacking incident on September 29, 1981, and for the release of slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was arrested for assassinating Lala Jagat Narain, the founder editor of Hind Samachar Group. Since his release from Pakistani prison in 1995, Singh was living in exile. After the terror attack on the Indian parliament in 2001, the MHA released a list of 20 people to Pakistan for extradition and Singh was among them.

Inclusion in most wanted list

In 2020, Gajinder Singh was listed among India's most wanted terrorists, reflecting his decades-long involvement in militant activities associated with the Khalistan movement.

Funeral rites at Nankana Sahib

According to officials of Dal Khalsa, Gajinder Singh's last rites were conducted at the cremation ground of Nankana Sahib on the evening of 4 July. His daughter, Bikramjit Kaur, who traveled from the United Kingdom, was present during the cremation, marking the end of an era for the controversial separatist leader.