Bhai Manbir Singh Chaheru

Bhai Manbir Singh Chaheru, who used the name Hari Singh and was called General, was the first leader of the Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), the Kharku force formed under the Sarbat Khalsa and the Panthic Committee. Wikipedia, the only account found that gives his background, says he was born in 1959 in Chaheru village, Kapurthala district.

Key moments

• February 1986. Became the first leader of the KCF, which General Labh Singh later led.
• March to April 1986. UPI reported that Punjab police wanted him over a 6 March attack at Kapurthala, suspected him in the 29 March killing of 12 people near Nakodar, and linked him to the 5 April raid on the Jullundur District Court in which eight police officers died. These are police claims as UPI reported them.
• 8 August 1986. Arrested with Baldev Singh Ghuman at Ghuman's home outside Jalandhar. UPI quoted Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala as saying they surrendered peacefully, and said police seized a light machine gun, six rifles and 1,000 rounds. Police chief Julio Ribeiro called him the group's chief strategist and said his information led to the capture of Tarsem Singh Kohar.
• December 1987. Punjab Police announced that he had escaped from custody while being brought from Bihar to Punjab. Sikh accounts say the escape story covered a killing in custody and that his body was thrown into the Beas. He was about 28.

He is remembered as the KCF's first leader. Official and Sikh accounts of how he died differ, and no outside source we could open settles the question.