Quick Info
| Profession | Human Rights Activist |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 01/01/1952 |
| Age | 43 years (died on 27, Oct, 1995) |
| Birthplace | Khalra village, Amritsar district, Punjab, India |
| Date of Death | 27/10/1995 |
Latest News about Jaswant Singh Khalra
05/09/2025
The Government of British Columbia proclaimed September 6, 2025, as Jaswant Singh Khalra Day across the province to mark the 30th anniversary of his abduction and murder. The proclamation recognizes his work exposing mass abductions, killings, and secret cremations of thousands of Sikhs by Punjab Police in the 1980s and 1990s, and highlights his 1995 visit to Canada where he addressed Parliament and shared his findings.
01/07/2025
The Sikh Coalition launched an advocacy toolkit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Jaswant Singh Khalra's murder on September 6, 1995. The toolkit assists Sikh communities nationwide in seeking local proclamations at state, city, county, and school board levels to honor his legacy of exposing enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and secret cremations during the post-1984 Sikh persecution.
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Physical Stats & More
| Eye Color | Black |
|---|---|
| Hair Color | Salt & Pepper |
Educational Qualification(s)
| College/University | Baba Budha College, Bir Sahib |
|---|---|
| Educational Qualification | A degree in Law |
Personal Life
| Place of Death | Harike canal, Tarn Taran district |
|---|---|
| Age (at the time of death) | 43 Years |
| Death Cause | Shot twice in the chest after abduction, torture, and illegal detention by Punjab Police; body disposed in Harike canal |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status (at the time of death) | Married |
|---|---|
| Marriage Date | 1981 |
Family
| Wife | Paramjit Kaur (human rights activist, politician) | ||||
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Career
| Director at a bank in Amritsar during the Punjab militancy period. | |
| General Secretary of the Human Rights Wing of the Akali Dal political party. | |
| Researched and exposed extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and secret cremations of over 25,000 Sikhs by Punjab Police in the 1980s and 1990s. | |
| Investigated specific cases including the custodial killing of Behla, the human-shield case involving seven civilians, and illegal cremations in Tarn Taran district where 2,097 bodies were unlawfully cremated. | |
| Bank director in Amritsar during the Punjab militancy period in the 1980s. | |
| Researched and exposed extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and secret cremations of approximately 25,000 Sikhs by Punjab Police during the 1980s and early 1990s. | |
| Investigated four major cases simultaneously: the custodial killing of Behla, the human-shield case involving the death of seven civilians, the illegal cremation of 25,000 unidentified bodies in Punjab, and the killing of approximately 2,000 police officers who refused to cooperate in counter-terror operations. | |
| Documented records from municipal authorities listing names, ages, and addresses of those executed by police. | |
| Traveled to cremation grounds to document victims anonymously cremated. | |
| Central Bureau of Investigation confirmed his findings that police had unlawfully cremated 2,097 people in Tarn Taran district alone. |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Jaswant Singh Khalra (1952-1995) researched extrajudicial killings of Sikhs during 1984 anti-Sikh riots. | |
| 2. His family had a history of activism and social justice. | |
| 3. Khalra was active in student activism and protested government corruption. | |
| 4. He married Paramjit Kaur, a fellow human rights activist. | |
| 5. Khalra exposed secret cremations and implicated government officials in Punjab Police. | |
| 6. Abducted and killed by Punjab Police in 1995. | |
| 7. His wife, Paramjit Kaur, sought justice and secured convictions for his murder. | |
| 8. Their children, Janmeet Singh and Navkiran Kaur, carry on his human rights advocacy. | |
| 9. Abducted on 6 September 1995 while washing his car outside his home in Amritsar by Punjab Police personnel and taken to Jhabal Police Station. | |
| 10. Six Punjab Police officials were convicted of his abduction and murder, with four sentenced to life imprisonment in 2007 by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. | |
| 11. Born in Khalra village, Amritsar district, which later became his surname. | |
| 12. Became a human rights activist following Operation Blue Star, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots. | |
| 13. Was motivated to investigate after colleagues and friends went missing during the militancy period. | |
| 14. Discovered municipal corporation files containing names, ages, and addresses of thousands of Sikhs killed and illegally cremated. | |
| 15. Received a direct threat from Ajit Sandhu, Superintendent of Police from Tarn Taran, who said if 25,000 had disappeared, it would be easy to make one more disappear. | |
| 16. Abducted on 6 September 1995 while washing his car outside his home in Amritsar by plainclothes police officers from Tarn Taran district. | |
| 17. Held at Kang Police Station in Tarn Taran district for 48 days and severely tortured during detention. | |
| 18. Shot twice in the chest on 27 October 1995 around 10 PM by police officers during a beating; body disposed in Harike canal. | |
| 19. Police officers who disposed of his body were rewarded with two bottles of liquor. | |
| 20. His case remained a mystery until Kuldeep Singh, a former Special Police Officer tasked with providing meals during detention, came forward as a witness. | |
| 21. Central Bureau of Investigation identified nine Punjab police officials responsible for his abduction in July 1996. | |
| 22. Six Punjab police officials were convicted of his abduction and murder; four were sentenced to life imprisonment by Punjab and Haryana High Court on 16 October 2007: Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh, Jasbir Singh (all former Sub Inspectors), and Prithipal Singh (former Head Constable). | |
| 23. His work brought international attention to the plight of Punjab's disappeared and their families. |