Shaheed Bhai Roshan Lal Beragi

Khalistan Commando Force

Bhai Roshan Lal Beragi was born on 14th March 1960, in the house of Bhagwan Das Beragi in the village of Verpa, district Amritsar. Bhai Sahib’s family were Hindus, who later converted to Sikhi. No one would have guessed that Bhai Sahib would do great amount of sewa for the Sikh Freedom Movement. Bhai Sahib was the second eldest of 3 brothers, Bhai Harjit Singh and Bhai Sunil Singh. Bhai Sahib also had 2 sisters, eldest Bibi Lakhwinder Kaur who was married and Bibi Lakhvir Kaur who was yet to be married. Bhai Sahib only studied up till 7th class, he was more interested in helping people and communities. Bhai Sahib had always heard the stories of Sikh warriors such as Bhai Banda Singh Ji Bahadur and soon these warriors became role models to Bhai Sahib. During the early 1980s Bhai Sahib and his father would regularly visit Sri Akaal Takht Sahib to listen to the speeches of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale. Bhai Sahib became involved with the Jhujaru Singhs of Sant Ji’s group and did actions in secret. In the year of 1983, the Punjab police raided the house of Bhai Sahib and from here on he went underground. Leading up to Operation Bluestar, Bhai Sahib punished many anti-Sikh elements.

In June 1984, the Indian army attacked Sri Darbar Sahib and mercilessly murdered thousands of unarmed Sikhs in the holy ground of Sri Harimandir Sahib. Prior to the attack, Bhai Sahib was sent to Bombay by Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale on some sewa. When Bhai Sahib heard the news of the attack on the Sikh throne, his eyes were filled tears and his heart wanted revenge for the blind killing of his Sikh brothers and sisters. Soon after the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib, Bhai Sahib joined the Jhujaru Singhs and punished anti-Sikh elements in the village of Harpala, district Amritsar who were hell bent on talking against the Sikh philosophy and they also celebrated the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib. After this action Bhai Sahib’s family house was demolished by the Punjab police and a police station was made in the village. Bhai Sahib took Amrit from Panj Pyare in the year of 1985.

Then in October 1984, Bhai Sahib was arrested from Sardulgarh village and sent to prison in Gurdaspur. The bars of Indian jails could not keep Bhai Sahib locked up, few months into his custody on 26th January 1986, Bhai Sahib along with Bhai Ranjit Singh, Bhai Dalvir Singh, Bhai Harjinder Singh and Bhai Jaswinder Singh escaped from Gurdaspur jail. Upon escaping Bhai Sahib went to see Baba Thakur Singh Ji Bhindranwale where he was sent to Delhi to join Bhai Satnam Singh Bawa, Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda and Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha. Bhai Sahib was nicknamed Bhai Gurdev Singh and given the duty of supplying singhs with weapons for actions. Bhai Sahib had supplied weapons for actions such as assassination of General Vadiya, Lalit Makkan and he also played a vital role in the Ludhiana bank robbery behind the scenes. Bhai Sahib had a good relationship with Jhujaru Singhs from other freedom fighting groups such as Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal and General Labh Singh. In November 1987, Bhai Sahib had his Anand Karaj with Bibi Nivpreet Kaur in a Gurudwara of Delhi, Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda took all responsibility from the bride side.

The Jhujaru Singhs of Khalistan Commando Force had planned a big line up of assassinations, such as Sajjan Kumar, HKL Bhagat, Jagdish Tytler and Rajiv Gandhi. The singhs were to meet on 9th December 1987, but on 7th December Bhai Sahib had arranged the arms dealer to get the weapons to the singhs to carry out the actions. But the arms dealer by the name of Ajit Singh had failed to deliver the weapons. Not wanting to fail and allow the chance to get out of hand, Bhai Sahib told the arms dealer to deliver the weapons following day or he himself will kill the arms dealer. In fear of his life the arms dealer told the police everything he knew about Bhai Sahib.

The police had put the reward of 100,000 Rupees on his head. The police than arrested Bhai Sahib on 10th December 1987 and in a press conference the police stated that Bhai Sahib was one of the main Jhujaru Singhs they had been hunting. Bhai Sahib was charged with 26 cases such as murders, heists, attempted murders as well as other cases. Bhai Sahib pretty much involved in most of the Jhujaru activities in the Delhi area. The Delhi police arrested Bhai Sahib when he was trying to get into Batra Cinema. An officer saw Bhai Sahib trying to hide something, Bhai Sahib realised that he had been found out and tried to make a run, but the police managed to surround him and arrest him. Bhai Sahib was also accused of supplying arms to Jhujaru Singhs from Pakistan. Once Bhai Sahib was remanded by the Delhi police, the Punjab police tried to get custody of Bhai Sahib. The Punjab police were granted the custody and 7 men gang took Bhai Sahib from Tihar jail. Bhai Sahib was chained from his neck to his ankles. That night at 7pm as Bhai Sahib was being taken to Punjab, the police told the story that as they passed the Beas River, Bhai Sahib jumped into the river and escaped. But this story is a complete lie, how could a man in chains get away from 7 police officers and then jump into the river.

In fact the truth is that Bhai Sahib was still in the custody of Punjab police and held at different CRPF bases to be tortured for more information on fellow Jhujaru Singhs of Khalistan Commando Force. It was during this time that Giani Aroor Singh Dhala, the chief of Khalistan Liberation Force had escaped from his court hearing. Giani Aroor Singh Dhala told Jhujaru Singhs that he had seen Bhai Sahib in one of the CRPF camps and that he had been brutally tortured to the extent that the eyes of Bhai Sahib had been pulled out. The police gave no food or drink to Bhai Sahib. Same information was gained from Bhai Satnam Singh Bawa who also had been arrested during the same time. A group of Jhujaru Singhs such as Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma and Giani Aroor Singh planned to attack the CRPF camp and free Bhai Sahib but this information somehow leaked to the police and they made Bhai Sahib shaheed in a fake encounter.

The racist Hindu police went as far as to arrest Bibi Lajwanti Kaur and Bibi Sanpuran Kaur, who were the widows of 1984 Sikh genocide. These singhnia were said to have accommodated Bhai Sahib, hence they were arrested and harassed by the police. Lajwanti Kaur is the mother-in-law of Bhai Sahib and his wife, Bibi Nivpreet Kaur who was 18 years old and pregnant went into hiding to avoid police harassment.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Roshan Singh Beragi