Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s son-in-law, S. Satwinder Singh Bhola was recently assassinated in his home town of Peoria, located about 2 hours away from Chicago. Although investigations are currently on-going, some Sikh leaders have suspected hands of the Indian Government behind his murder. The suspicion has grown due to the time the incident took place.
Sikh24 is publishing an exclusive story covering an incident from Bhai Bhola’s life, in his own words-
The Amritsar police arrested me in February 1987 and kept me in the infamous torture center of Mall Mandi at Amritsar. There, the butchers continued torturing me but I tried to keep my identity hidden as best as I could. Then a police officer ordered his accomplice to call another officer to identify me.
A writing of Bhai Satwinder Singh Bhola published in September, 2015 edition of Vangaar Magazine.
As that Police Officer arrived he buzzed, “This is Bhola…?”
His utterances created an immediate disturbance in the torture centre as the Police officer thought that he has arrested the freedom fighter Gurinder Singh Bhola of Tarn Taran.
Since the identifying officer couldn’t confirm my whole name, this created confusion amongst the ranks.
Soon senior police officers including SSP Sarbdeep Singh Virk and Rajdeep Singh Gill arrived at the torture centre.
Staring at me, Sarbdeep Virk told them, “That’s not Gurinder [Singh] Bhola…” and then they soon identified that I was Satwinder Singh Bhola.
News of the martyrdom of Bhai Gurinder Singh Bhola on September 17 1986 at Chowk Mehta had come to their notice. Sarbdeep Virk confirmed his martyrdom from me as well.
After a formal talk he said, “I have observed four Sikh fighters during my service tenure, in the eyes of whom I saw absence of any fear of dying. First Gurinder Singh Bhola, second Sukhdev Singh Sakhira, third Ranjit Singh Tarsikka and fourth one is you…”
I was thinking that he is praising me to get to open up about my secrets, but he immediately added, “Gurinder Singh Bhola used to roam openly in the Putli Ghar area while being on the run. Sukhdev Singh Sakhira never broke his schedule of paying obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib at 2.30 am at dawn. Ranjit Singh Tarsikka openly challenged me during torture that forget about me disclosing information about my Jathebandi, you cannot even have me admit my name”
It felt really good to hear about the courage of Singhs from a police officer, however, two of these Singhs had become martyr because of friction within our own Panth.
