On July 6, 1987, Khalistani terrorists attacked a passenger bus and killed 38 innocent civilians and injured another 33 others near Lalru village in Mohali District of Punjab. Around a half dozen terrorists belonging to Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) forcefully stopped a passenger bus – Haryana Roadways bus HYE 1735 – near Lalru village (between Jamalpur and Hasanpur villages) and opened fire on passengers, killing 38 passengers including women and children. Most of those victims were from Hindu community who were on their way to Rishikesh, a major Hindu pilgrimage site. The terrorists had followed the passenger bus in a white car and a truck from Chandigarh, before getting control of it.
It was also found that the passengers were looted by the attackers before getting killed. Later, Police recovered a KCF letter from the bus which said that “flower of Sikh youth was being killed in Punjab and therefore a hundred Hindus would now be killed for every Sikh.”
After killing 38 bus passengers near Lalru, district Patiala, Punjab, on July 6, terrorists struck 24 hours later near Fatehabad, district Hissar, Haryana, to kill another 32 travellers. The bus had left from Chandigarh for Rishikesh, in which around 75-79 Hindus were on board. Around 10 pm, a Fiat car stopped near the bus.
Four gunmen got out of it and entered the bus and held the bus driver at gunpoint and asked him to take the bus to an open place. At first, the Khalistanis looted the HHindus and all their valuables were taken away. After this they were asked to assemble in the middle of the bus. After that those gunmen started firing indiscriminately from both the sides of the bus. A terrorist named Gurmeet Singh was also killed in the exchange of fire. Lastly, 38 innocent Hindus lost their lives and 33 were injured in the firing of Khalistani terrorists.
This happened in Lalru, Patiala. Within 24 hours Khalistanis repeated same in nearby Fatehabad, Haryana murdering another 32 Hindu travelers with bullets.
Keyman behind these atrocities, Kulwinder Malhi, is eulogized with a portrait in Malton Gurdwara even today.
This incident was carried out by a terrorist organization named ‘Khalistani Commando Force (KCF)’, which still exists today. Its masters are sitting in America, Canada and Pakistan. It also had a hand in the assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh. However, after the campaign against it, it has now become very weak.
In Lalru incident, the driver of the bus was a Sikh named Hari Singh. He was left alive by the terrorists and he was the first to inform the police about the incident. He told that when the Fiat came to a stop, he thought that the driver must be drunk, but people came out of it with Stengun.
At first the Khalistanis said that they had come only to loot. After this the passengers gave away all their ornaments to them out of fear and thought that their lives would be saved. After this the bus continued for 8 kms. During this, Khalistanis while taunting the Hindus asked, where is your Julio Ribeiro now? Let us tell that during the days of Khalistan in Punjab, Julio Ribeiro was the DGP of Punjab. Ribeiro, who is counted among the flamboyant officers, has also been the Police Commissioner of Mumbai.
The Khalistanis made fun of the Hindu passengers sitting in the bus and asked, “You all were laughing when Sikh youths were being killed. Now see how you are sitting like a jackal.” After this all the passengers were forced to shout ‘Sat Naam Wahe Guru’. However, during this time a passenger named Kalavati somehow managed to jump off the bus and escape with her life. She also took her three small children along with her. Firing started from both the sides by stopping the bus between Jamalpur and Hasanpur.
An injured named Abdul Ghafoor had also told the police about this whole incident. They had also killed a clean shaven man in the firing, who was identified as Gurmeet Singh alias Tony, one of the gunmen. After crossing the Ghaggar river, the terrorists tried to burn the car by putting his dead body in the car, but due to rain, they couldn’t and instead escaped from there in the truck. The driver Hari Singh was let off because he was a Sikh.
KCF had also left a note in the bus, in which it was written that for every Sikh, 100 Hindus would be killed. Dead bodies of women and children were also lying in the bus. Even today, the thinking of Khalistanis is the same and they want to shed the blood of Hindus by creating a rift between Hindus and Sikhs on some pretext or the other. Pakistan gives them fuel. Due to the high Sikh vote in Canada, they get shelter. Their goal is the same as that of the Taliban.
DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.