Harjinder Singh Jinda (4 April 1961 – 9 October 1992) was a Sikh and one of the two assassins of Arun Vaidya.
He was responsible for three high-profile assassinations: Arjan Dass, Lalit Maken and Gen. Vaidya.
He along with other members of Khalistan Commando Force participated in Indian history's biggest bank robbery of ₹ 57 million ($4.5 million USD. Equivalent to about 1.023 billion rupees in 2023. About $12.5 million USD in 2023 ) from Punjab National Bank, Miller Gunj branch, Ludhiana to finance the militancy for a separate Sikh state of Khalistan.
1962
Jinda was born on 4 April 1962 in village of Gadli, in district Amritsar, to Jat sikh Family of Gulzar Singh and Gurnam Kaur.
After completing his early education, he enrolled in Khalsa College, Amritsar.
He belonged to a farmer family.
Jinda had three siblings, Nirbhail Singh, Bhupinder Singh and Balvinder Kaur.
One of his other nephew, Surjit Singh Penta had committed suicide by consuming Cyanide during Operation Black Thunder.
He was completing his BA, when Operation Blue Star occurred.
This incident motivated him to leave his studies and join the Khalistan separatist movement afterwards.
While living in Delhi Jinda formed a robbery gang consisting of him, Baljinder Singh, Sukhvinder Singh, and Harvinder Singh.
1984
Lalit Maken was considered to be involved in the killings of Sikhs during 1984 Anti-Sikh riots.
In a 31-page booklet titled 'Who Are The Guilty', People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) listed 227 people who led the mobs, which killed up to 18,000 Sikhs over three days.
Lalit Maken's name was third on the list.
A press report has indicated that someone named Bakshish Singh was also involved along with Jinda in this assassination.
1985
On 4 March 1985 they robbed the Union Bank of India in Anand Niketan, Delhi.
45,000 rupees were robbed.
(644,000 rupees in 2023. 8,000 USD in 2023) Jinda also aided in the planning of a robbery at the State Bank of India in Greater Kailash, Delhi.
The robbery was done by Sukhdev Singh Sukha on March 15 of 1985 at 7:15 p.m. Over 400,000 rupees were looted.
(5,700,000 rupees in 2023. 70,000 USD in 2023)
Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha assassinated Congress(I) Member of Parliament Lalit Maken on 31 July 1985, when he was moving towards his car parked across the road from his house in Kirti Nagar, Delhi.
The three assailants continued firing even as Maken ran towards his house for cover.
Maken's wife Geetanjali and a visitor, Balkishan, were also caught in the firing and died.
The assailants escaped on their scooters.
Congress (I) leader, member of Delhi Metropolitan Council, and close associate of Sanjay Gandhi, Arjun Dass was assassinated on 5 Sep 1985 by Jinda, Sukha using stenguns because of his involvement in 1984 Anti-Sikh riots.
His plain clothed bodyguard, a Constable, was also killed.
5 others were wounded.
Jinda and Sukha left the scene shouting, “Long live Khalistan”.
Arjan Dass's name appeared in various affidavits submitted by Sikh victims to Nanavati Commission which was headed by Justice G.T. Nanavati, retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India.
He was also identified among organisers of the carnage.
Arjun Dass was a close friend of Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi.
In 1985 Jinda was arrested by Delhi Police.
He was arrested over a theft of a car.
Police at the time did not know of Jinda’s previous crimes.
After an initial interrogation police realised that he was a high profile militant, but still did not know what crimes he had committed.
1987
Ranjit Singh "Gill" was arrested by Interpol in New Jersey, USA on 14 May 1987, a federal magistrate approved his extradition on 6 February 1988 and he was deported back to India in February 2000 after lengthy legal cases and was sentenced to life imprisonment on 24 February 2003.
2009
Finally his life sentence was commuted on 20 May 2009.
Harjinder Singh Jinda revealed in interrogation that immediately after killing Lalit Maken he took position outside of a hospital anticipating Rajiv Gandhi and Zail Singh to visit.
He planned to kill them both.
He was unable to get a shot because of a large crowd.
