Jagtar Singh Hawara
| Honorable Jathedar Jagtar Singh Hawara | |
|---|---|
|
ਮਾਣਯੋਗ ਜਥੇਦਾਰ ਜਗਤਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਹਵਾਰਾ | |
| 31st Jathedar of Akal Takht | |
|
Assumed office 10 November 2015 Serving with Dhian Singh Mand | |
| Appointed by | Sarbat Khalsa |
| Preceded by | Gurbachan Singh |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jagtar Singh Bhangu May 16, 1973 Hawara, Fatehgarh Sahib, Panjab |
| Nationality | Sikh |
| Spouse(s) | Balwinder Kaur (m. 2005; div. 2006) |
| Children | 1 |
| Mother | Narinder Kaur |
| Residence | Tihar Jail, New Delhi, India |
| Known for |
Assassination of 12th Chief Minister of Punjab[1] 2004 Burail jailbreak[2] |
| Religion | Sikh |
Jagtar Singh Hawara (Punjabi: ਜਗਤਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਹਵਾਰਾ) born (May 16, 1973) is the 31st and current interim Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest spokesman of the Sikh Nation.[3] Hawara is a member of Babbar Khalsa and convicted as a conspirator in the assassination of 12th Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh.
Early life
Jagtar Singh Bhangu was born on May 16, 1973, at Hawara, a small village in Fatehgarh Sahib, Panjab. His father died in 1991. His mother's name is Narinder Kaur. [4]
Criminal record
Murder of a Granthi
At the age of 15, Hawara was accused of the murder of a Granthi (Sikh Priest) of Sri Muktsar Sahib but was later acquitted.[5][6]
Assassination of 12th Chief Minister of Punjab
Hawara is one of the main culprits in the assassination of 12th Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh. [7] On August 31, 1995, Dilawar Singh Babbar, a human bomb assassinated Beant Singh by blowing up his bullet-proof car at the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh.[8] Beant Singh was allegedly blamed for thousands of extra judicial murders of Sikhs.[9]
2004 Burail jailbreak
In 2004, Hawara came back into limelight when he escaped from maximum security jail at Burail, along with 2 other Sikh prisoners by digging a 90 feet tunnel with his bare hands.[10]
Elevation as the Jathedar of Akal Takht
On November 10, 2015, Jagtar Singh Hawara replaced Gurbachan Singh as the interim Jathedar of Akal Takht. He was appointed Jathedar by the Sarbat Khalsa at Chabba village on the outskirts of Amritsar, Panjab.[3]
Personal life
In 2005, Hawara married Balwinder Kaur, daughter of Dara Singh at a Gurdwara in village Dohla. On March 3, 2006, Balwinder Kaur's petition for annulment of marriage was a adjourned. Kaur claimed to had stayed with Sahib Singh (alias of Hawara) for just 11 days, after which she was dropped off at her parent's house where Hawara stayed for a day.[11]
References
- ↑ Gopal, Navjeevan; Brar, Kamaldeep Singh (11 November 2015). "Radicals 'appoint' Beant killer Jagtar Singh Hawara as Akal Takht chief". The Indian Express. The Indian Express. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ↑ "Court convicts Hawara, Bheora in Burail jail-break case". The Hindu. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- 1 2 Correspondent, HT. "Sarbat Khalsa appoints Jagtar Singh Hawara as Akal Takht jathedar" (10 November 2015). Hindustan Times. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- ↑ "Jagtar Singh Hawara Bio". In.com. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- ↑ Punjab News Line Archived August 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Babbar Khalsa International "Roundup"". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ↑ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ↑ "Babbar Khalsa International". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ↑ Romesh, Silva; Marwaha, Jasmine; Klingner, Jeff (2009), Violent Deaths and Enforced Disappearances During the Counterinsurgency in Punjab, India: A Preliminary Quantitative Analysis (PDF), retrieved 2012-08-14
- ↑ http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/5102/38/ Archived May 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Report, Bureau. "Sangrur court annuls marriage Jagtar Singh Hawara". Zee News. Retrieved 22 October 2016.