CHANDIGARH: Thirty persons, including 14 militants, 190 CPI activists and eight Jawans of the government railway police (GRP), were killed in Punjab Oct. 6 over the week 172persons lost their lives.

The eight GRP personnel were killed when militants blew up a drain bridge on the main Amritsar Jalandhar section of northern railway early Oct 6. The security men were travelling in a pilot train when the incident occurred. Two other GRP Jawans were also injured.

Police recovered one more body of a militant Killed in the encounter in village Talwandi Sobha Singh in Tern Taran district raising the toll to four. Earlier, three militants were reported to have been killed in the encounter.

Militants shot dead serpanch Ajit Singh in village Makhowal under Ram Das police station area Sunday.

Security forces also nabbed eight malls Tanis while one person was Kidnapped in the state during this period.

Three unidentified militants were killed in fierce encounter in Talandi Sobha Singh village in Tam Taran police district.

A charred body of a youth was recovered from Bhurath Maihola under Srihargobindpur police station area of Batala police district.

Security forces shot dead a hardcore militant, Gurmam Singh alias Sukhbir Singh of Khalistan Commando Force (Zafarwal) in an encounter near Kunijan Bridge in Gurdaspur district.

Saturday night, police said here Militant also shot dead two CPL activists Inder Singh and his brother Surjit in the border village of Sara “Amanat Khan in Amritsar district Sunday night.

Two alleged militants, Inder Singh and his wife Mohinder Kau, were killed in Khajala village of Majiha police dist., police said.

Militant shot dead Darshan Singh and injured another person in Rode village of Faridkot district.

A Newspaper hawker, Ram Lal, was gummed down in Jagrala village of Jalandhar district.

Militant shot dead one Sajjan Singh near Mohalla Talian in Ludhiana district while a civilian, Ranjit Singh was killed in cross firing between security men and militants near Nangal Labana village in Kapunhla district paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force personnel was also injured in the firing.

Four militants were killed in an en counter with security men near Koki village in Faidkot district Saturday. Report said the militants tied 19 ambush a patrol party near a bridge in the village bat were Killed in return fire.

In another encounter, militant Gurshinder Singh alias Shera was Killed while being taken by a police party to a village in Majitha police district for recovery of arms.

 In another encounter, unidentified riltantwaskillednea village Kunjen Bridge in Gurdaspur district while another waned militant Jagraj Singh alias Raj, in police uniform was killed in an encounter near Machike village in Ferozepore district.

Militants shot at and injured the gunman of former Punjab transport minister Parkash Singh Majitha at his house in Majitha police district Saturday night.

Deputy forest officer Sardara Singh was kidnapped by militants from Qadian in Gurdaspur district Saturday night.

BUTARI: In a major strike, militants killed eight securitymen after derailing a special patrol train on the Jalandhar-Amritsar section early Sunday.

The train, carrying 10 securitymen, overturned and fell into a nullah. Caught in a hail of bullets from automatic rifles, eight of them were killed on the spot and two injured.

The DIG (Border), R.S.Chalia said that a number of militants first caused two powerful explosions using a remote control device when the train was crossing the bridge over the nullah, 1.5 km from the railway station here. As the got derailed, the militants fired at the occupants.

The train comprising a diesel engine, 8 guard vans, s goods carriage and a break van, left Jalandhar at 11:20 p.m. The dazed driver Udham Chand, said he noticed nothing unusual on the way during the four halts of the train. The train carried two men from the Government Railway Police, two Home Guards and six constables of the Punjab police.

Since there are no fixed hours for the patrol train to run the time and date are decided at random depending upon the availability of the engine and carriages, according to railway officials, who reached the scene Sunday morning. The train is to check the rail track in view of the prevailing law and order situation. P.K.Rana, the guard, who along with the driver had a providential escape, said the train passed Beas railway station at 1:48 am.

The guard said the train was in the process of picking up speed after Butari station when two deafening blasts were heard. “Before I could make out what had happened the engine got derailed but pulled the vans across the bridge. The last two vans, which had gone off the rails by now hit a corner wall of the bridge and fell into the nullah. This was followed by heavy firing from both sides of the track”, he said.

Chand and Rana jumped out of the derailed train and hid themselves in the nearby paddy fields. The firing continued for about 15 minutes. Militants, who were carrying torches, ensured that the securitymen were killed before fleeing the scene. Later the guard wading through the fields reached a security post at Tangra railway station, 4 km from the scene of the incident..

Elsewhere in Punjab, Panthic Committee (Zaffarwal) member Gurnam Singh and nine other militants were among 17 persons killed and a Deputy Forest Officer was kidnapped during the past 24 hours.

In an encounter, the security forces shot dead Panthic Committee (Zaffarwal) member Gurnam Singh, alias Sukhdev Singh, who masterminded militant activities in Punjab on behalf of the committee, not Kanjan village under Dhariwal police station in Gurdaspur district on Saturday night.

A general purpose machinegun and 27 cartridges were found at the counter site.

A Gurdaspur report quoting SSF S.K.Goel said Gumam Singh, aresident of Danewali village, not only smuggled arms from Pakistan but distributed them among various hit men of the Khalistan commando.

Forty-one people, including 18 relatives of securitymen and 11 militants, were killed in violence overnight October 2.

Militants set fire to eight houses belonging to policemen in Balasaur village in Tam Taran police district. They also burnt six buses of the Punjab Roadways Corporation and looted about Rs.70,000 during the period.

‘The houses belonged to head Constable Iqbal Singh, constables Kulwinder Singh, Balwinder Singh, Harjinder Singh, Manjit Singh and Joginder Singh.

A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Veltoha village in Amritsar district Wednesday. Another person was killed in the crossfire, police said.

Militant Nidhan Singh was killed in Chack Mukand village in Amritsar district, police said,

Thirteen militants were among 23 persons killed while the Dal (Badal) senior vice-president Parkash Singh Majitha escaped an assassination attempt in the terrorist-invested state of Punjab since Friday night.

The killed militants included a self-styled Lt. Gen and an area commander of The Khalistan Commando Force (Zaffarwal) who was involved in more than 200 case.

The bullet-riddled body of Ranjit Singh father of top militant Rachhpal Singh Chhandran chief general of Bhindranwale Tigers force was Found near his native village Chindran in Ludhiana district Saturday the body was sent for post mortem.

Militants Saturday attacked the house of Majitha in Majitha town seriously wounding hin gunman constable Charanjit Singh. The militants escaped with a sten gun and two guns. The incident took place when the militants tried to force their way into Majithas house on the pretext of meeting him.

Two listed militants of the Babbar.

Khalsa outfit were killed in 2 police encounter. The deceased were identified as Vikas Pandit and Inder Singh Delhi.

Two listed militants of the Khalistan Liberation Force were killed in encounter with security forces Beri village in Gurdaspur district Saturday. One of the deceased militants was identified as Bittu alias Sukhwinder Singh An AK-47 rifle and some cartridges were removed from the scene.

Militants shot dead one Mallah Singh and injured two others in Budhsinghwala village of Fandkot district.

One Swinder Singh alias Shobha Singh was gunned down by militants in Raepur Rani Village of Ludhiana, district.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 11, 1991