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Attempted assassination of Julio Ribeiro

On 3 October 1986, militants from the Khalistan Commando Force, led by Labh Singh, made an attempt on the life of Director General of Police in Punjab, India, Julio Ribeiro in Jalandhar within the Punjab Armored Police headquarters. Ribeiro was wounded in the attack along with his wife. Ribeiro's wounds were minor, but his wife was hospitalized. 2 officers were killed and 2 were seriously wounded in the attack. All the attackers escaped unhurt.[1][2][3]

Attempted assassination of Julio Ribeiro
LocationPunjab Armored Police Headquarters, Jalandhar, India
Date3 October 1986; 38 years ago (1986-10-03)
6:45 a.m.
TargetJulio Ribeiro
Attack type
Shooting
WeaponsCarbines, machine guns
Deaths2 officers killed
Injured4 officers, Julio Ribeiro
PerpetratorKhalistan Commando Force
MotiveRevenge for Ribeiro's alleged role in fake encounters of Sikhs

Background

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The insurgency in Punjab, India began with Operation Blue Star which saw a military attack on the Golden Temple and numerous other Gurdwaras.[4] The aim of the Operation was to flush out Sikh militants from Gurdwaras,[5] but it caused great damage to the Golden Temple and, according to independent estimates, 5,000 civilians were killed in the operation.[6][7][8] The Operation was viewed by a large amount of Sikhs as an attack on the faith some of whom became kharkus (militant insurgents) and joined the Khalistan movement and began an insurgency.[9] Ribeiro was made the chief of Punjab Police in late 1985 to bring an end to the insurgency. He was created with making the "bullet for bullet" policy to combat Kharkus in reaction to Labh Singh's breaking out of prison.[10]

In early 1986 Khalistan Commando Force was founded by the Sarbat Khalsa and Panthic Committee. It was the "official" army of the Khalistan movement.[11] Manbir Singh Chaheru was made the leader in February 1986.[12][13][14] After his disappearance in police custody Labh Singh took over.[15][16] The earlies goal of KCF was the killing of Ribeiro.[17]

Planning

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According to Harjinder Singh Jinda he and fellow members of KCF had always aspired to assassinate Ribeiro, but planning for such did not begin until Labh Singh took over KCF in August 1986.[17] Wassam Singh and Dhanna Singh of the Panthic Committee were key members in the planning of the assassination. Labh Singh was said to be the mastermind.[18] Multiple officers working at Punjab Armored Police headquarters in Jalandhar had joined KCF and began plotting with Labh Singh on how to kill Ribeiro. Gurcharan Singh, Constable Sardul Singh, Constable Balwinder Singh, Constable Dalwinder Singh, Constable Kewal Singh, Head Constable Ajit Singh, and Head Constable Kulwant Singh of the Punjab Police along with Labh Singh offered an ardas on 15 September for their goal of killing Ribeiro in revenge for Ribeiro's role in fake encounters which targeted Sikh youth.[2][18] The kharkus would usually meet at Ajit Singh's home planning escape routes and details of the attack. Balwinder Singh acquired the weapons for the attack a few days before.[18]

Attack

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On 3 October 1986, 6 Kharkus[1] attacked Ribeiro as he walked in the Punjab Armored Police's headquarters' garden along with wife. At 6:45 am Dalwinder Singh, Balwinder Singh, Sardul Singh and Ajit Singh armed with Carbines and Dhanna Singh, with a machine gun, drove to the gate of the headquarters in a police jeep, numbering 471 PAT, driven by Vijaypal Singh.[2][18] All were in police uniform. One of them exited the jeep and asked an officer for their weapon to inspect it. Upon getting it he and 3 other Kharkus scaled a mound and opened fire on Ribeiro who ducked in cover. They further shot dead a sentry and injured another one. Over 50 rounds were fired. While fleeing they killed another officer and wounded one more. The Kharkus abandoned the jeep near the headquarters and fled in a truck.[19][3][2][20][21][22] No officer fired a shot in return or attempted to chase the Kharkus.[20] In the attack 2 officers were killed. Ribeiro escaped wounded, and his wife was hospitalized. 4 other officers were wounded.[20][2][23]

Aftermath

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The attack led to criticism on Punjab Police's readiness.[20] Chief Minister of Punjab Surjit Singh Barnala said, 'The complex should have been the best protected place in Punjab. There has been a definite, serious security lapse. The guards were not trained, they were not cautious. Somebody inside knew the entire set-up. The terrorists knew which side they should go, even the passage through the barbed wire. Since our increased onslaught on the terrorists, they have been eager for actions that will give them publicity mileage."[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Punjab Police chief Julio Francis Ribeiro narrowly escapes terror attack". India Today. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Manjit Singh v. The State Of Punjab And Ors., Punjab & Haryana High Court, Judgment, Law, casemine.com". www.casemine.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b Ribeiro, Julio (1999). Bullet for Bullet: My Life as a Police Officer. Penguin Books. pp. 297–298. ISBN 978-0-14-027140-9.
  4. ^ Wolpert, Stanley A., ed. (2009). "India". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  5. ^ "How the Akalis let Bhindranwale take over the Golden Temple". Scroll.in. The SGPC president, Mr Tohra and the moderate leadership of the Akalis helped Bhindranwale; otherwise nobody can live in the premises of the Golden Temple without the permission of the SGPC president. After all, Bhindranwale did not just walk in.
  6. ^ Grewal, J. S. (1998). The Sikhs of the Punjab (The New Cambridge History of India II.3) (Revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 205–241. ISBN 978-1316025338. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  7. ^ Karim, Afsir (1991). Counter Terrorism, the Pakistan Factor. Lancer Publishers. p. 35. ISBN 978-8170621270.
  8. ^ "What happened during 1984 Operation Blue Star?". India Today. Retrieved 9 February 2021. Official reports put the number of deaths among the Indian army at 83 and the number of civilian deaths at 492, though independent estimates ran much higher.
  9. ^ Kiss, Peter A. (2014). Winning Wars amongst the People: Case Studies in Asymmetric Conflict (Illustrated ed.). Potomac Books. p. 100. ISBN 978-1612347004.
  10. ^ GARGAN, EDWARD (10 October 1991). "ENVOY OF ROMANIA ABDUCTED IN INDIA". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
  11. ^ Pettigrew, Joyce J. M. (1995). The Sikhs of the Punjab : unheard voices of State and guerrilla violence. Internet Archive. London; Atlantic Highlands, N.J. : Zed Books. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-85649-355-0.
  12. ^ Stephen E. Atkins (2004). Encyclopedia of Modern Worldwide Extremists and Extremist Groups. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 242. ISBN 978-0-313-32485-7.
  13. ^ Cynthia Keppley Mahmood (November 1996). Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 152–153. ISBN 0-8122-1592-3.
  14. ^ Birinder Pal Singh (2002). Violence as Political Discourse. Indian Institute of Advanced Study. ISBN 9788179860069.
  15. ^ Atkins, Stephen E. (2004). Encyclopedia of modern worldwide extremists and extremist groups (illustrated ed.). Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 242. ISBN 9780313324857. Retrieved 26 June 2009.
  16. ^ "Another key leader dies but terrorism survives in Punjab". India Today. 15 August 1988. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  17. ^ a b Asi Attwadi Nahi by Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha page 100-103
  18. ^ a b c d "Assassination attempt on Julio Ribeiro a clear indictment of intelligence agencies". India Today. 15 November 1986. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Gunmen Miss Police Chief In Attack". Washington Post. 29 December 2023. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  20. ^ a b c d e "Punjab Police chief Julio Francis Ribeiro narrowly escapes terror attack". India Today. 31 October 1986. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  21. ^ Tempest, Rone (4 October 1986). "Aide Battling Sikh Terrorism Survives Attack". Los Angeles Times.
  22. ^ Tempest, Rone (4 October 1986). "Aide Battling Sikh Terrorism Survives Attack". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  23. ^ Bhatnagar, Ved (1998). Challenges to India's Integrity: Terrorism, Casteism, Communalism. Rawat Publications. p. 207. ISBN 978-81-7033-442-2.
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