The Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) is a pro-Khalistan militant organisation operating in the state of Punjab, India with prominent members based in Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Its objective is the creation of a Sikh state of Khalistan through armed struggle. It is also responsible for many assassinations in India, including the 1995 assassination of Beant Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab, India. It is designated as a terrorist organisation by the Government of India.
Objective The creation of a Sikh independent state of Khalistan through armed struggle is their primary goal. KCF primarily targeted Indian security forces including CRPF, BSF and other police forces. It targeted Hindus who were against the Khalistan movement. The primary source of funding of KCF is looting, bank robbery and extortion. It is also involved in large scale smuggling of weapons from Pakistan to India across the International border.
History Khalistan Commando Force was founded by the Sarbat Khalsa and Panthic Committee. It was the official army of Khalistan. Manbir Singh Chaheru was made the leader in February 1986.
On 8 August 1986, Punjab Police arrested Manbir Singh Chaheru ("Hari Singh"), and he was eventually killed or disappeared while in police custody. After Chaheru was arrested, former police officer Sukhdev Singh, also known as Sukha Sipahi, took command of the KCF. Sukhdev Singh changed his name to Labh Singh and assumed the title of "General".
After his death the KCF was headed by Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind On 18 October 1989, Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind, and another two KCF members were arrested by police near Jalandhar. While one member managed to escape, Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind, then 23 years old, swallowed a cyanide capsule to avoid giving information about the group.
Decline Operation Black Thunder against the Sikh militants in Golden Temple greatly degraded the capability of KCF to conduct operations. Police killed Labh Singh on 12 July 1988. His loss damaged the organisation. After his death, the Khalistan Commando Force split into factions including those led by Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, Paramjit Singh Panjwar and Gurjant Singh Rajasthani.
Another result of Labh Singh's death was the failure of the Khalistan Commando Force - Babbar Khalsa alliance, as the relationship established by Labh Singh and Sukhdev Singh Babbar was lost.
The group broke into multiple factions.
This organization eventually rendered unable to operate after all of its chiefs, local commanders, militants were killed or captured by Indian security forces by late 1990s.
Activities
1980s
On 6 March 1986, according to police Manbir Singh's planned attack on Kabul Singh, acting president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), was carried out in Kapurthala. The attack killed 7 and injured 13. It was carried out by KCF members. According to police 6 men in a jeep opened fire on the escort of Kabul Singh and a police men. Kabul Singh managed to survive, but was seriously wounded. According to othee sources the real target was Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jarnail Singh Brar and that Kabul Singh was caught in the crossfire. The KCF members used stenguns. This attack was condemned by the Panthic Committee and the All India Sikh Student Federation(AISSF). On 7 March 1986, Manbir Singh and co burned the home of Jaskirit Singh in Kassochal. On March 26, 1986, KCF members killed Arjan Singh Mastana an MLA and leader of Communist Party of India. On March 29, 1986, Manbir Singh and co were allegedly responsible (According to Surjit Singh Barnala) for an attack in Nakodar killing 12. They shot at a brick kiln and a nearby barber shop. 6 officers were killed, and more injured, in a violent attack on the District court in Jalandhar, Punjab, India by KCF. Accounts of the attack, reported on 6 April 1986 in the US, differed. According to an unidentified source in Mahmood's "Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants", the attack was made by KCF leader Manbir Singh Chaheru and his associates. "The Courier" of Arizona, US, carried a story attributed to UPI stating that 3 "Sikh terrorists" killed 3 police officers who were taking 3 prisoners to a bathroom, while "16 armed court guards cowered in fear". The report stated that 2 police holding a 4th prisoner were also gunned down, and that "Three other officers, a lawyer, and a bystander were wounded as the Sikhs sprayed the area for 15 minutes." Police said that the guards were too frightened to return fire. This fourth suspect remained in custody. Finally, the Courier article reported that the Sikhs looted "three rifles and a submachine gun" from the dead bodies, and that a 6th officer later succumbed to wounds from the attack. The "Wilmington Morning Star" carried an AP story, and related that 3 "Sikh extremists" killed 4 police officers inside the District Court complex, killed two officers who "were shot at the courtyard gate as the attackers fled", and wounded 4 other individuals, including a lawyer. The Star identified the freed suspects as Labh Singh, Gurinder Singh, and Swaranjit Singh, who were to appear in court on charges of slaying Ramesh Chander, a Hindu newspaper editor. The Star reported that District Magistrate S.C. Aggarwal said 4 attackers fired over a compound wall from a lane. It further reported that others witnessed the attackers open fire from close range as police led the prisoners to the toilet. The report concluded with District Police Chief Baljit Singh Sandhu's statement that the attackers hard "fired at least 50 rounds" in the attack. The "Eugene Register-Guardian" reported that District Magistrate S.C. Aggarwal said in a telephone interview that 3 or more attackers opened fire as 4 defendants accused of the May 1984 slaying of Ramesh Chander, were being led into the compound, and that the attackers took 3 rifles from the slain police. This single incident became a basis of Roberio's "Bullet for bullet" policy. According to Harjinder Singh Jinda after Labh Singh was free they both met each other in Jalandhar along with Chaheru. Chaheru had told them that they were in urgent need of money. Labh Singh and Jinda told Chaheru that they would get the cash in a week. They began to scout banks in Jalandhar and selected one to rob. 3 days later at 11 in the morning Labh Singh, Jinda, and others robbed the bank of 1,250,000 rupees. (US$250,000) Tarsem Singh Kohar, the main hit man of KCF, along with Sukhdev Singh hijacked a train on 10 April which resulted in the death of 5 police officers. On 15 July 1986 Manbir Singh organised an attack on Karpurthala Jail to rescue 2 Sikh militants. The militants were Balwinder Singh and Jagjit a Singh Gill. Both of whom were “dreaded” militants. In the jailbreak 2 guards were killed and their weapons were taken. The organisation battled Indian military forces, especially in revenge for Operation Blue Star, the government's 1984 military operation in the Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar. Manbir Singh was arrested on 8 August 1986. Manbir Singh would later be executed in an extrajudicial killing by police. Manbir was the first head of KCF and had broken Labh Singh out of prison. Sarbjit Singh Ropar who was responsible for Manbir Singh's arrest and the acting chairperson for a faction of All India Sikh Student Federation was kidnapped by KCF on 28 August. He was interrogated by Labh Singh and revealed his hand in the arrest and his fathers who was a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). He also revealed his hand in the arrests of Tarsem Singh Kohar and Waryam Singh. He was soon executed by Labh Singh along with Hardeep Sahota, and Hans Raj Ghuman. Hardeep and Hans were also involved in the arrest of multiple militants and Manbir Singh. In 1984, General Arun Vaidya had planned and supervised Operation Blue Star – a controversial military operation ordered by Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, On 10 August 1986, General Arun Vaidya was shot to death by Jinda and Sukha while he was driving his car home from the market.Associated Press. "Shrine Leader Killed in Ambush", The Dallas Morning News, 11 August 1986. According to the police, the assailants pulled up next to his car on motor scooters and fired eight or nine shots into the car.Weisman, Steven R. "A Top Indian General is Assassinated", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 11 August 1986. Vaidya reportedly died instantly of head and neck wounds. His wife, who was also in the car, was wounded by four bullets in her back and thighs.Sun-Times Wires. "Sikhs kill ex-army chief, massacre revenge hinted", Chicago Sun-Times, 11 August 1986. According to Indian intelligence sources, Vaidya had been the number four assassination target on lists by Sikh militants and he was one of several people killed in retaliation for Operation Blue Star.Associated Press. "General cremated; Sikhs admit to killing", c/o Houston Chronicle, 11 August 1986."The Vaidya Murder Case: Confirming Death Sentences", India Abroad. (New York edition). New York, N.Y.: 24 July 1992. Vol.XXII, Issue. 43; pg.20. Following the assassination, the Khalistan Commando Force issued a statement declaring that Vaidya had been killed in retaliation for the Operation Blue Star. On 1 September 1986 Labh Singh (Head of KCF) assassinated Additional District and Sessions Judge R.P. Gaind. He was shot 4 times dead in a store while on the phone. His wife and daughter watched the killing. This shooting put secure forces on high alert across Punjab. He had been receiving death threats over his verdict on a case prating to Sodhal Mandir in Jalandhar. A room of it was used by Sikh for worship. Sikh demanded the room that was used for Sikh worship become a Gurdwara. In September 1986 KCF members under Labh Singh robbed a bank in Talwara. the bank manager was killed and 29,000 rupees (386,000 rupees in 2023. US$4,700 in 2023) was stolen. In September 1986 KCF, whose leader was Labh Singh, killed Darshan Singh Canadian an MLA and party leader of the Communist Party of India. Darshan Singh opposed Sikh militants and Khalistan supporting NRI Sikhs. He actively campaigned against both. In September 1986 KCF members under Labh Singh also killed Baldev Singh Mann. He was a left-wing activist of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) New Democracy. He was a state level leader of Kirti Kisan Union and the editor of Hirawal Dasta Baldev was gunned down by 4 men in his home village near Amritsar. He was walking with his brother who escaped unhurt. On September 29 of 1986 KCF members under Labh Singh robbed a bank in Tar tarn Sahib. The bank manager was killed. On October 3rd 1986 men identified in the press as Sikh militants in police uniforms attacked Director-General Punjab Police Julio Francis Ribeiro inside his headquarters in the city of Jalandhar, Punjab, India, with automatic weapons. One guard was killed, and Ribeiro, his wife, and four other officers were injured. Ribeiro's wound was minor, but his wife was hospitalised. KCF later claimed responsibility for this attack. In a phone call to news organisations Labh Singh, head of KCF, claimed responsibility for the killing of 4 members of a police patrol near Amritsar. In October 1986 Labh Singh personally led a bank robbery in Talwara at the State Bank of India. According to police 4 Sikhs robbed the bank and 2 people were killed and another 2 wounded. The robbery occurred in broad daylight. US$176,000 was stolen. (US$488,000 in 2023) In October 1986 Labh Singh and his fellow militants robbed 1,023,000 rupees (2023 20,392,784 rupees. 2023 US $250,000) from a bank in Ludhiana. In October 1986 Labh Singh and his fellow militants robbed 800,000 rupees (10,650,000 rupees in 2023. US$130,000 in 2023) from the Millar Ganj branch of the Punjab National Bank, Ludhiana.