Post terrorism, Paramjit Singh Panjwar took to arms and drug smuggling

Jupinderjit Singh and PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 6

The longest serving head of banned terrorist organisation Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), Paramjit Singh Panjwar, alias Sardar Singh Malik, was gunned down in Lahore on Saturday. For the last few years, he had been one of the biggest smugglers of drugs and arms to India.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had declared him as a designated terrorist in 2020 and stated that he had been broadcasting seditious and separatist programmes on Radio Pakistan attacking India.

Panjwar is the second notorious terrorist killed recently in Pakistan. Earlier in January 2020, Harmeet Singh, alias Happy PhD, who headed the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) was also killed.

Had role in Gen Vaidya’s killing

• Paramjit Singh Panjwar was the longest serving head of banned terrorist organisation Khalistan Commando Force
• The MHA had declared him as a designated terrorist in 2020, stating he had been running seditious programmes
• He was accused of the killing of Major Gen BN Kumar, Chairman, Bhakra Beas Management Board, in Chandigarh in 1988
• His name had also cropped in the murder case of former Army Chief General AS Vaidya in 1992

Panjwar had been the KCF chief since 1989 and was involved in a number of killings and dacoities from 1986 onwards. He joined the KCF through his relative Labh Singh, alias Sukha Sipahi, who led the terror organisation in its most active period between 1987 and 1988.

He was accused of the killing of Major Gen BN Kumar, Chairman, Bhakra Beas Management Board, in Chandigarh in 1988, besides being involved in a number of bomb blasts and several other killings. Panjwar moved to Pakistan later and trained youths for continuing terrorism in Punjab.

According to the police, Panjwar was wanted by the Indian security agencies for his attempts to revive insurgency in Punjab, along with various cases of murder conspiracy and smuggling of arms to the country. His name had also cropped in the murder case of former Army Chief General AS Vaidya in 1992.

According to Indian security agencies, his terror-related activities had reduced significantly over the years. Though the reason for his killing is unclear, the agencies suspect it could either have been a result of an inter-gang rivalry or a dispute with other terrorist organisations.

Panjwar’s mother, Mohinder Kaur, was allegedly kidnapped and kept in illegal confinement before she disappeared from Jhabal police station in November 1992. The Special Judicial Magistrate of the CBI Court, Mohali, had recently declared Punjab Police AIG Jagdip Singh as a proclaimed offender in the case. The then DSP, Ashok Kumar, was chargesheeted by the CBI, but he died during trial.

His brother was also allegedly killed by the police in an encounter. One of his brothers retired from a central co-operative bank and three of brothers live in a village. His brother Rajwinder Singh was also allegedly killed under mysterious circumstances in an encounter.