Gajinder Singh, a prominent figure in the pro-Khalistan movement and one of India's most wanted individuals, passed away on July 3rd at the age of 73 in Lahore, Pakistan.
Sources confirm that Singh, who had been living in exile in Pakistan since his release from prison in 1995, suffered a heart attack and was subsequently admitted to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore, where he succumbed to his illness.
Singh was the founder of the separatist Sikh organization Dal Khalsa and was best known for his role in the 1981 hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft. He and his colleagues diverted the plane to Lahore, demanding the release of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a militant leader arrested for the assassination of Lala Jagat Narain, the founder editor of the Hind Samachar Group.
Following the hijacking, Singh spent 14 years in a Pakistani prison. After his release, he remained in Pakistan, residing in Nankana Sahib, where he owned a house and farmland. He lived under state security, which was further enhanced after the assassination of Khalistan Commando Force chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar in Lahore last year.
Singh's name was included in a list of 20 individuals India sought to extradite from Pakistan after the 2001 terror attack on the Indian Parliament. His wife, Manjit Kaur, passed away several years ago, and his daughter, Bikramjit Kaur, currently resides in the United Kingdom.
The Indian Airlines flight hijacked by Singh in 1981 was en route to Amritsar from Delhi. The hijacking involved 111 passengers and six crew members, all of whom were eventually released unharmed after negotiations with Pakistani authorities. Singh's actions solidified his status as a key figure in the Khalistan movement and a wanted fugitive in India.
