UpdateBot at 02:21, 29 April 2022

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{{short description|Indian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
'''Malkiat Singh Sidhu''' (died 27 April 1991) was the former [[Planning Minister]] of [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]], [[India]]. He was a member of the [[Akali Dal]] political party.<ref>Khalid, Iram. "Conflict within state: a case study of South Asian and South East Asian". p. 225</ref> In 1986, he was named [[Minister of State]].<ref>Asian recorder, Issue 2. p. 18,964</ref>

On 25 May 1986, he was ambushed by four Sikhs who learned he was visiting the Canada on a private matter and was shot. Although he survived the assassination attempt, he was killed five years later at his home in India.<ref name="record">[[Kitchener Waterloo Record]], "Vancouver Sikhs in shock after politician shot dead", 29 April 1991</ref>

==Assassination ==
Sidhu entered Canada to attend his nephew's wedding; although his entrance was not noted by Canadian authorities, Sikh extremists learned of the trip through "the efficiency of the Sikh intelligence network".<ref>Pruthi, R. K. "Sikhism and Indian Civilization", p. 161</ref> It was later determined that "clear information on the pending attempt on his life" had been given to Canadian authorities two days prior, but since the attack occurred over a weekend, the information was not passed on to its necessary agency until the following Monday.<ref>Report on a Review of the Management of the Counter Terrorism Security Intelligence Process Related to the "Malkiat Singh Sidhu Incident" of 25 May 1986</ref><ref>[http://www.majorcomm.ca/en/submissions/AIVFA%20-%20Supplementary%20Submissions%20-%20March%202009.pdf Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182], 25 March 2009</ref>

While driving on an isolated gravel road near [[Gold River, British Columbia|Gold River]] on [[Vancouver Island]] with three other people, Sidhu's car was forced to stop when another vehicle stopped in front of them. The occupants exited their vehicle and began smashing Sidhu's car with hammers, firing five .32-calibre bullets into the car, striking Sidhu in the arm and chest. Sidhu feigned death, and the men ran back to their vehicle.<ref name="ERTA">ERTA, [http://www.erta-tcrg.org/incidents/extremisme_sikh.htm Sikh Extremism] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908115928/http://www.erta-tcrg.org/incidents/extremisme_sikh.htm |date=2008-09-08 }}</ref><ref>''Spokesman-Review'', [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19860611&id=3v4SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Yu8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6919,7968721 Canada's Sikh community split by moderates, fundamentalists], 11 June 1986</ref>

Shortly afterward, Jasbir Singh Atwal, Jaspal Singh Atwal, Armajit Singh Dhindsa and Sukhdial Singh Gill were arrested at a police [[roadblock]].<ref name="orlando">{{cite news | newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]] | url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-12-25/news/0280260235_1_jaspal-singh-singh-atwal-jasbir-singh | title=Four men charged with trying to murder an Indian minister | date=25 December 1986 | accessdate=21 March 2018}}</ref> In February 1987, all four men were convicted and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment.<ref name="ERTA"/>

In September 1987, their cases were overturned when Michael Code,<ref>[[Toronto Star]], [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/472462401.html?dids=472462401:472462401&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+17%2C+1987&author=(CP)&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Defence+lawyer+asks+lighter+%27FLQ%27+terms+for+two+terrorists&pqatl=google Defence lawyer asks lighter FLQ terms for two terrorists], 17 January 1987</ref> showed that the [[wiretap]] evidence against the four attackers had been obtained on a fraudulent warrant by the [[Canadian Security Intelligence Service]] (CSIS), who had provided a judge with faulty evidence from a source known to be untrustworthy.<ref>[[India Today]], Volume 12, p. 106</ref><ref name="book">Farson, Anthony Stuart. "Security and intelligence in a changing world: new perspectives for the 1990s", p. 191</ref> CSIS director [[Ted Finn]] resigned shortly after it was revealed that the CSIS affidavits were riddled with errors.<ref name="book"/> However a government appeal upheld their convictions and sentences in June 1990.<ref>Spokane-Chronicle, "Appeals court upholds sentences", 26 June 1990</ref>

==Murder==
Sidhu was one of five Indian politicians running for office who were killed in 1991, gunned down along with his bodyguard by militants on 27 April while walking from his house in [[Moga, Punjab|Moga]] to visit a friend.<ref name="record"/><ref>Press Institute of India, "Data India", 1991. p. 407</ref><ref>[[Sikh Times]], [http://www.sikhtimes.com/sikhism_timeline.html A Timeline of Sikh Religious and Political History ]</ref><ref name="susp">[[Argus-Press]], [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9kIiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZK0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3985,4782086&dq=sidhu+moga+1991&hl=en Sikh militants suspected in murder of candidate], 29 April 1991</ref>

== See also ==

* [[List of assassinated Indian politicians]]
* [[List of people who survived assassination attempts]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sidhu, Malkiat Singh}}
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:Shiromani Akali Dal politicians]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing]]
[[Category:People murdered in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:State cabinet ministers of Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Assassinated Indian politicians]]
[[Category:Victims of the insurgency in Punjab]]
[[Category:Victims of Sikh terrorism]]
[[Category:Sikh terrorism in India]]
[[Category:Failed assassination attempts in North America]]
[[Category:Sikh terrorism in Canada]]

Malkiat Singh Sidhu - Revision history

UpdateBot at 02:21, 29 April 2022