Shaheed Bhai Kulwant Singh Varpal

Bhai Kulwant Singh Varpal was born in the village of Varpal, in the house of Sardar Sadha Singh and from the womb of Mata Surjit Kaur. Bhai Sahib was the youngest of 7 brothers and at the age of 7 Bhai Sahib took amrit from the 5 Beloved Singhs. Bhai Sahib studied till 10th class at his local government school of Varpal. After school Bhai Sahib started to work as an electrician. 2 of Bhai Sahib’s older brothers had attained shaheedi in the Sikh armed struggle, Shaheed Bhai Hardev Singh Varpal and Shaheed Bhai Bachittar Singh Varpal. In 1995 Bhai Sahib did Kar Sewa under the command of Buri Wale Sants, Bhai Sahib was also a great Katha Vachak as well as a great Kavisher. Bhai Sahib was always seen doing simran of Waheguru.

Through preaching Sikhi Bhai Sahib came in contact with Bhai Pal Singh France and worked his driver. 21st July 2010, Inspector Harwinder Singh and Inspector Balbir Singh raided Bhai Sahib’s home at 10 o’clock at night and arrested him. The police took Bhai Sahib to the Mal Mandi Police Station in Amritsar. The family was told by the police that Bhai Sahib would be released after questioning. But the police kept Bhai Sahib in unlawful custody for 4 days, after which Bhai Sahib was sent home. Bhai Sahib told his family that the police was asking him about the present Khadku Singhs. The police soon came again to take Bhai Sahib, but this time with brutal force. The police grabbed the hair of Bhai Sahib and plunged him into their jeep and took him away.

Bhai Sahib was presented to the Session Court of Amritsar on a later date. The judge was told by the police that Bhai Sahib was arrested at the Jalandhar by-pass with Bhai Gurmukh Singh Pandori, while they were in possession of big quantity of firearms. In fact the truth is that Bhai Gurmukh Singh Pandori was arrested travelling alone on a scooter from Amritsar. The judge gave the police 5 days more to question Bhai Sahib, between 24th – 30th July 2010, the police did inhuman torture on Bhai Sahib. The electric shocks had wrecked his livers, the bones of Bhai Sahib’s arms and legs were broken with force, the police put hot irons on to the body of Bhai Sahib and also pulled his nails out of his fingers. 1st August 2010, Bhai Sahib was sent to Amritsar Jail, after seeing the wounded condition of Bhai Sahib, the chief of the jail admitted Bhai Sahib to Guru Nanak Hospital, Amritsar on 3rd August 2010. Bhai Sahib spent the first 4 days in the ICU, in total Bhai Sahib was in hospital getting treated for 26 days. While at hospital Bhai Sahib’s family hired, Human Rights Advocate V P Singh Bhatia and appealed for Bhai Sahib’s release at the High Court. Inspector Harwinder Singh and Inspector Balbir Singh and their police team, even the sessions judge were questioned into why they had kept Bhai Sahib in custody. The police and the judge were now in trouble so together the planned to kill Bhai Sahib so they can get off the hook.

Amritsar jail has 20 sections, Bhai Sahib was held in the 19th section along with Bhai Pal Singh France and Bhai Makhan Singh. 11th February 2012, while Bhai Pal Singh France and Bhai Makhan Singh where out of their cell, Bhai Sahib stayed behind and took an afternoon nap. As Bhai Sahib was sleeping the attackers set Bhai Sahib on fire by throwing flammable substances at Bhai Sahib. Bhai Sahib could not put out the fire as the fire was all over him. When finally someone put the fire out, Bhai Sahib was completely burnt from one side, face, neck, chest and thigh.

On 14th February 2012, Bhai Sahib attained shaheedi reciting Waheguru. A strong investigation should be done as this isn’t the first such killings have happened. Shaheed Bhai Jaspal Singh Pali, Shaheed Bhai Shaminder Singh Shera and Shaheed Bhai Sohanjit Singh Sursingh had also been killed in the custody of the police. The police have called the death of Bhai Sahib as a suicide but the full investigation will prove that the police are wrong. In the hospital Bhai Sahib gave his last statement, “I was set on fire by the attackers, I didn’t try to kill myself instead someone tried to burn me alive.”

The Sikh nation must now support the family of Bhai Sahib, the family that has lost 6 members to the Sikh panth.

Shromani Akali Dal Panch Pardhani