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SOURCE: AFI

Gajinder Singh, a wanted terrorist and co-founder of the radical outfit Dal Khalsa, passed away from a heart attack at a hospital in Pakistan. He was 74 years old.

Singh was a fugitive for his role in the 1981 hijacking of an Indian Airlines (IA) flight. The plane, carrying over 110 passengers and crew, was diverted to Lahore and used to make demands for the release of Sikh extremists.

Gajinder Singh led a group of five who hijacked the IA flight on September 29, 1981. They forced the plane to land in Lahore, demanding the release of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other Khalistani figures. The hijacking was also a protest against the deaths of Sikhs in a police firing incident earlier that year.

The hijackers were apprehended by Pakistani authorities and sentenced to 14 years in prison. After completing their sentences in 1994, the other four members of the group went to different countries. Gajinder Singh, however, remained elusive.

India sought his deportation, but Pakistan denied his presence in the country. This stance contradicted a 2022 social media post where Singh himself revealed his location in Pakistan.