Labh Singh

Infobox Military Person
name= General Labh Singh
lived= 1952 - July 12, 1988
placeofbirth=
placeofdeath=


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nickname= Sukha Sipahi
allegiance= Khalistan Commando Force
serviceyears= 1984 - 1988
rank= General (self-appointed)
commands=
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battles= Operation Blue Star, Khalistan movement (East _pa. ਖਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ. He was involved in day-light attack on Director-General of the Punjab Police J.F. Ribeiro inside his headquarters. Also involved in daylight bank robbery of Rs 5.70 crore from the Punjab National Bank, Miller Gunj, Ludhiana, Pb, India etc.
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Labh Singh (or "General Labh Singh") was a former Punjab Police officer who took command of the Khalistan Commando Force after its founder, General Manbir Singh Chaheru, died in late 1980s [http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/retrieve/726/etd1604.pdf] . His original name was Sukhdev Singh and he was also known as Sukha Sipahi. He re-created the Khalistan Commando Force with a fluid hierarchy, enabling it to accommodate any potential setbacks. He was the undisputed head of this force until his death. He appointed half a dozen Lieutenant Generals, each independent of each other, with each of them having Area Commanders. As such, the death of a Lieutenant General, for example, would result in the promotion of an Area Commander. After his death this organisation was headed by Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind. After Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind's death, Paramjeet Singh Panjwar became the General of his organisation.

Labh Singh was involved in several encounters, including Operation Blue Star, with Indian Security forces. He was involved in a daylight attack on the Director-General of the Punjab Police Julio Francis Ribeiro on October 3, 1986 inside the headquarters of Punjab Armed Police in the city of Jalandhar, Punjab, India [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020125/punjab1.htm] [http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=4e9019ee-c9cd-4459-8a1f-e4f08238125e] [http://www.sikhtimes.com/sikhism_timeline.html] . Along with Harjinder Singh Jinda, Sukhdev Singh Sukha and other militants of the Khalistan Commando Force, he took part in the daylight robbery of the Punjab National Bank, Miller Gunj branch, Ludhiana in which more than Rs 5.70 crore (58 million rupees-$4.5 million) were looted, a part of which belonged to the Reserve Bank of India, India's central bank. [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/58240583.html?dids=58240583:58240583&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+13%2C+1987&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Sikh+Separatists+Masquerade+as+Police+to+Stage+India's+Biggest+Bank+Robbery&pqatl=google] [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3810376.html] Sikh militants often used bank robberies to finance their violent campaign against the Indian government. [ http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/58240583.html?dids=58240583:58240583&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+13%2C+1987&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Sikh+Separatists+Masquerade+as+Police+to+Stage+India's+Biggest+Bank+Robbery&pqatl=google] .

He was killed in an exchange of fire with the police near Tanda, Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India (Faultlines, May 1999, vol. 1.1, p. 29, New Delhi: Institute of Conflict Management.) [http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/punjab/backgrounder/index.html] . His entire family was forced to migrate to Canada after his death though his father-in-law stayed on in Labh Singh's house. According to one unconfirmed report, some years later, his father-in-law committed suicide by leaping in front of a train after being beaten by the Punjab Police. [ [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010309/main7.htm The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News ] ]

Labh Singh was born in 1952 to Puran Singh and Kulwant Kaur in the village of Panjwar, District Amritsar, Punjab, India. In 1980, he married Davinder Kaur according to Sikh rites and had two sons Rajashwar Singh and Pardeep Singh. In 1983, he left his job with thePunjab Police to join the Sikh separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. During Operation Blue Star, he fought the Indian Army along with other Sikh militants against Indian Army. Arrested by the army after the operation, he was sent to Jodhpur Jail where he spent two years without trial. He escaped when Sikh militant leader Manbir Singh Chaheru attacked Indian security forces that were taking him to trail in the District courts of Jallandhar, Punjab, India [http://books.google.com/books?id=8QufTc6fAocC&pg=PA168&dq=general+labh+singh+fighting+for+faith+and+nation&lr=&num=100&ei=upDaSOfhJKDitQPG2-XeDg&sig=ACfU3U2YnlXSW49kQTTEBo8RDhPhpDFIfQ] .

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