By Our Correspondent TARN, TARAN: The police received a major setback today when the S.P. (Operation) Avtar Singh Chhetra was killed during an fierce encounter in which five freedom fighters were also gunned down in Mussa village about 25 km from here under Jhabal police station on June 24.

The intermittent exchange of fire between a hiding freedom fighter and the security forces was

continuing around 6:30 pm. The DIG CRPF, SS. Virk and the SSP, Tarn Taran, Baldev Singh personally monitored the day long ‘operation which started early this morning.

The dead freedom fighters whose exact identity is yet to be established belonged to the Bhindranwale Tigers Force of Khalistan” Police officials feel that two of them could be Suk winder Singh ‘Sangha Lt. General of the Bhindrawale Tiger Force of Khalistan and Rachpal Singh Alias Ghook The police chief of Tarn Taran police district, Baldev Singh said Chhetra who was heading a raiding party was hit in abdomen when he tried to reach near the room where three freedom fighters were hiding, So heavy was the firing by the freedom fighters that the police official could not be removed from the spot for more than an hour resulting in excessive loss of blood leading to his death. “His killing is a big loss to the police said the S.S.P who looked visibly upset over the tragedy. Mr. Chhetra (36) who was on deputation with the Punjab police from the CRPF is survived by his widow and a daughter and a son aged four and two respectively. After graduating from Punjab University he joined the CRPF in 1973 as a DSP. He took over as the S.P (Operation) Tarn Taran last year he had earned the distinct of being one of the worst torturers, Being instrument in the elimination of a good number of freedom fighters in the area, He was on the top of freedom fighters “hit list.” ‘The encounter according to the police followed a raid by a joint party of the CRPF and the Punjab police on a tip off that six freedom fighters were hiding in a house. On seeing the security men searching the houses, freedom fighters started firing from the parapet of the house. The party returned the fire. Two of the freedom fighters jumped to an adjacent house of Sardool Singh and took position in a room. On sensing the fire power of the freedom fighter wireless messages were flashed to the headquarters and heavy reinforcements reached the spot and encircled the entire village within two hours.

Around 10 am a police party headed by Avtar Singh Chhetra broke a wall to enter the courtyard of Sardool Singh’s house. The S.P. was barely 10 metre away from he freedom fighter’s hideout when a burst of Chinese AK47 assault rifle hit him in the pelvic region. As two policemen accompanying him tried to take him away but were also fired upon. The security men desperately tried to remove the S.P. from the barrage of bullets, but failed.

Article extracted from this publication >>  June 30, 1989