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{{Short description|Indian RAW agent}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}

'''Kashmir Singh''' (born 1941) is a former Indian spy. He spent 35 years in Pakistani prisons, before he was released with Presidential pardon by [[Pervez Musharraf]].

==Early life ==

In his early life, he was in the [[Indian Army]] approximately from 1962 to 1966. After working for the [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]] for a while, he took up spying on a contractual basis at the rate of [[Indian rupee|Rs.]] 400 per month. Thereafter, he entered [[Pakistan]] in the guise of Ibrahim, a [[Muslim]] name.<ref name="spying">{{cite web|date=7 March 2008|accessdate=7 March 2008|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-03-07/india/27783771_1_indian-spy-kashmir-singh-indian-army|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023005354/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-03-07/india/27783771_1_indian-spy-kashmir-singh-indian-army|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 October 2012| first=Khushwant |last=Singh |work=[[The Times of India]]|title=Kashmir Singh denies conversion }}</ref> Using this name, he checked into hotels and got identity cards during his task.<ref name="spying"/>

== Arrest ==
In 1973, he was arrested on the 22nd Milestone on the [[Peshawar]]-[[Rawalpindi]] road by Pakistani intelligence officers.<ref name="spying"/><ref name="arrest1">{{cite web|date=3 March 2008|accessdate=7 March 2008|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-03-03/india/27742415_1_lahore-s-central-kashmir-singh-jail-inmates|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023005359/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-03-03/india/27742415_1_lahore-s-central-kashmir-singh-jail-inmates|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 October 2012|work=[[The Times of India]]|title=Kashmir Singh released from Lahore jail}}</ref> Upon arrest, he was accused of espionage and smuggling but it could not be proved by the authorities.<ref name="arrest_family">{{cite web|date=4 March 2008|accessdate=7 March 2008|url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/ani/20080304/r_t_ani_nl_general/tnl-kashmir-singh-returns-to-india-after-99cbaa1_1.html|title=Kashmir Singh returns to India after 35 years in Pak jails|work=Yahoo! India News}}</ref>
At the time of his arrest, his family included his wife, Paramjit Kaur, and three children under the age of 10.<ref name="arrest_family"/>

Subsequently in the same year, he was sentenced to death by a [[Pakistan Army]] court.<ref name="death1">{{cite web|date=4 March 2008|accessdate=7 March 2008|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7277718.stm|title=A powerful Indian love story|first=Asit|last=Jolly|publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> This verdict was upheld by a civil court between 1976 and 1977 and a mercy petition followed this, but to no avail.<ref name="spying"/><ref name="death1"/> After being sentenced to an indefinite jail term, he said that he "was tortured third degree for the first few months by the authorities"<ref name="spying"/> as they pressured him to confess of being an Indian spy. Singh was lodged in seven different jails in Pakistan and was "kept in solitary confinement and remained chained for 17 long years."<ref name="chained">{{cite web|date=7 March 2008|accessdate=7 March 2008|url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/I-was-a-spy-and-did-my-duty-says-Kashmir-Singh/281570/|title=I was a spy and did my duty, says Kashmir Singh|work=The Indian Express|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309181630/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/I-was-a-spy-and-did-my-duty-says-Kashmir-Singh/281570/|archive-date=9 March 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> For the total period of three and a half decades in captivity, he did not see the sky or have a single visitor.<ref name="sky_visitors">{{cite web|date=6 March 2008|accessdate=7 March 2008|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23325479-663,00.html|title=Hero's welcome for forgotten prisoner|work=Herald Sun}}</ref>

Singh's entire family but for Paramjit, his wife had lost hope for his return. In 1986, when the Pakistan government released a few Indian prisoners accused of spying from the [[Lahore]] jail, the family knew that he was alive but on a death sentence.<ref name="news_lahore">{{cite web|date=4 March 2008|accessdate=7 March 2008|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=c037310c-98ec-437f-8c8f-1d6275bbd36f&MatchID1=4662&TeamID1=5&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1173&PrimaryID=4662&Headline=Kashmir+Singh+comes+home+after+35+yrs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305215443/http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=c037310c-98ec-437f-8c8f-1d6275bbd36f&MatchID1=4662&TeamID1=5&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1173&PrimaryID=4662&Headline=Kashmir+Singh+comes+home+after+35+yrs|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 March 2008|title=Kashmir Singh comes home after 35 yrs|work=Hindustan Times|first=Kuldeep|last=Mann}}</ref>

== Release ==
In 2008, the caretaker Human rights minister [[Ansar Burney]] spotted him while visiting the Lahore jail.<ref name="news_lahore"/> Burney said that Singh became mentally disabled after his years in jail.<ref name="sky_visitors"/> He immediately put up his case with the [[Government of Pakistan]] that sought Singh's release.<ref name="burney_petition">{{cite web|date=4 March 2008|accessdate=7 March 2008|url=http://www.dawn.com/2008/03/05/top3.htm|title=Former spy back home to emotional welcome|work=Dawn}}</ref> He further added that he had "fought his case on humanitarian grounds as he [Singh] had spent 35 years in jail."<ref name="burney_defense">{{cite web|date=7 March 2008|accessdate=7 March 2008|url=http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14618756|title=Pak Minister defends his role in Singh's release|publisher=Sify.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310231258/http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14618756|archive-date=10 March 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On seeing this, [[President of Pakistan]], [[Pervez Musharraf]] expressed shock and disbelief and accepted this mercy petition and ordered for release and repatriation of Singh to India.<ref name="sky_visitors"/>

On 4 March 2008, he was released by Pakistan and entered India through the [[Wagah]] border amidst celebrations.<ref name="released_4th">{{cite web|date=4 March 2008|accessdate=7 March 2008|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/kashmir-singh-arrives-home-gets-a-heros-welcome/60473-3.html|title=Kashmir Singh arrives home, gets a hero's welcome.}}</ref>
<br />

==See also==
* [[Sarabjit Singh]]
* [[Ravindra Kaushik]]
* [[Kulbhushan Yadav]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Kashmir}}
[[Category:Indian Army personnel]]
[[Category:Indian spies]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Recipients of Pakistani presidential pardons]]
[[Category:Indian expatriates in Pakistan]]
[[Category:People convicted of espionage in Pakistan]]

Kashmir Singh - Revision history

Bot at 03:21, 22 June 2022