Bhai Jugraj Singh, also known as Toofan Singh, was born in 1971 in the village of Cheema Khuddi in Punjab. His father was Sardar Pritam Singh and his mother was Sardarni Gurbachan Kaur. He was the only son of his parents and had five sisters. The 1984 Operation Bluestar deeply impacted Jugraj Singh, leading him to join the struggle for the protection of Sikh rights. He became a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and began his activities. He provided protection to people by taking action against illegal activities and criminal gangs in his region. On April 8, 1990, Bhai Jugraj Singh attained martyrdom during an encounter in the village of Mari Buchian in Gurdaspur district. After his martyrdom, nearly 400,000 people attended his funeral, reflecting his popularity and the respect people had for him. In 2017, a film based on his life titled “Toofan Singh” was released, but it was not permitted for screening by the Indian Central Board of Film Certification. Among the many stories of Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan’s life, one that still lives in people’s hearts is his campaign against the Gonda gang in the village of Bhikhiwind. During the 1980s and 90s, law and order in Punjab had weakened significantly. Despite police presence, criminal gangs terrorized people. In the Bhikhiwind area, a gang was extorting money, harassing women, and seizing people’s property. When Bhai Toofan Singh learned about this, he said: “Our Gurus never taught us to remain silent in the face of ظلم (injustice). If you see injustice, stand against it.” Instead of staying silent, he and a few other Singhs identified the gang, monitored their activities, and one night raided their hideout. This was not an ordinary operation. The gang was fully prepared, and a fierce gun battle took place. The encounter lasted for several hours. Eventually, Bhai Toofan Singh and his team eliminated the main members of the gang and forced the rest to flee. After this action, people in Bhikhiwind and nearby areas finally felt a sense of relief. Where the law had failed, Bhai Toofan Singh delivered justice. People say: He was neither police nor a judge — but whenever “Toofan Singh” arrived, justice was served.
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