Manbir Singh Chaheru

Manbir Singh Chaheru (or "General Manbir Singh Chaheru") aka Manvir Singh aka Iqbal Singh aka Hari Singh was the original founder and first chief General/ Commander-in-Chief of Khalistan Commando Force

Manbir Singh was born in 1959 at village Chaheru, Kapurthala, Panjab. His father Sardar Mohinder Singh was a well to do farmer. Manbir Singh completed his primary education at his village school and passed his 10th grade at a school in the village of Kala Bakra (village of his maternal aunt, Niranjan Kaur). He was later married Bibi Ranjit Kaur. He assisted his father in farming for six years after passing matric.

It was Giani Joginder Singh (a retired army officer and son-in-law of Niranjan Kaur) who originally encouraged him to take up the baptism (a Sikh initiation ceremony). He was 19 years old at the time of “April 13, 1978 - Nirankari confrontation” when thirteen Sikhs of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha were murdered. This incident left a deep mark on Manbir Singh's thoughts. In 1979 at Sodal Gurdwara in Jalandhar, Manbir Singh along with his wife and his father's younger brother, Karnail Singh, took the baptism from Sant Nihal Singh Harian wela wale.

After baptism Manbir Singh started attending religious classes, being provided by Damdami Taksal at Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash, Mehta Chownk and that is where he came in contact with Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Gurbant Singh, Bhai Prem Singh and Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

In 1981 he was arrested temporarily after heated arguments between him and the then SSP of Jalandhar, GurIqbal Singh Bhular, when the later questioned him about his actions. His uncle Karnail Singh got him released on bail with a personal surety that Manbir Singh will show up at Police station tomorrow. After this incident Manbir Singh approached Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and moved to the Golden Temple where he started serving free food in Guru Ka Langar. He became Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale ’s personal bodyguard afterwards. Meanwhile, the Police arrested his uncle Karnail Singh for not bringing Manbir Singh to the police station as promised.

In Golden Temple complex, Manbir Singh stayed in room number 53 of Guru Nanak Niwas along with Giani Joginder Singh, Bhai Sant Singh, Bhai Malagar Singh and Bhai Gurtej Singh. He also came in contact with Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha of village Fatu Dinga, Major Singh Nagoke (who later on became assassin of Deputy Inspector General, Mr. Atwal^[1], And ‘who kept fighting against Indian army until he died on June 9th 1984 in Operation Blue Star ^[2]), Balwinder Singh Khojkipur {whose official diary (as per Rajya Sabha) is still in the custody of CBI even though CBI has destroyed other 117 important items seized during Operation Blue Star ^[3], Joginder Singh Rode, and Kabal Singh.

He survived the 3rd Sikh Holocaust referred to as Operation Bluestar in 1984, because he was not at Sri Harmandir Sahib at that time. He initially left for Pakistan but to take revenge of this attack and to achieve independence from India, he came back. He along with several other like minded youths, including Mr. Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha, Mr. Gurdev Singh Debu, Mr. Mathra Singh and Mr. Tarsem Singh Kuhaar etc, established Khalistan Commando Force and Manbir Singh Chaheru was declared its very first Chief General/Commander-in-chief^[4]. He fought various battles against Indian security forces afterwards.

In 1986, Khalistan Commando Force members Ajitpal Singh, Balbir Singh Raipur, Rashpal Singh and Jarnail Singh under the direct command of Manbir Singh Chaheru attacked Indian Security Forces inside District courts, Jallandhar, Punjab, India and freed Sukhdev Singh aka Sukha Sipahi (who later became chief General of KCF with a changed name of General Labh Singh), Sawarnjit Singh and Gurinder Singh Bhola from police custody. Six policemen died during this battle.

On August 8th 1986, Manbir Singh Chaheru got arrested along with Major Baldev Singh Ghuman (who was later killed on 23rd June 1990 at his own house by police cats^[5][6]), Charanjit Singh and two other Sikhs when About 200 paramilitary troops raided Major Baldev Singh’s farm on the outskirts of Jullundur, in Punjab state. As per Police, there were two dozen murder cases registered against him by that time. (Publication: Chicago Sun–Times, Date: August 10, 1986, Section: Sunday News, Page: 10)^[7]. He was captured on the basis of a secret information provided to Punjab Police by its informer named Sarabjit Singh Ropar.

After Manbir Singh’s arrest, Sukhdev Singh aka Sukha Sipahi took over the command of Khalistan Commando Force.

Manbir Singh Chaheru was kept in various jails in Panjab and later moved to a jail in Bihar. In December of 1987 Police announced that Manbir Singh escaped from the Police custody while Police were transporting him back to Panjab from Bihar, but in fact the police had killed him and had disregarded his body into Beas River. In Chandigarh the Panjab Police Chief J.F. Rebiero told news reporters that they don't need to worry as Manbir Singh will not come back ^[8]. International Human Rights Organization has also concluded that Manbir Singh Chaheru was killed by police after taking him out judicial lock up ^[9].

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