Beant Singh (assassin)

Beant Singh (6 January 195931 October 1984) was one of the two bodyguards who assassinated the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, at her New Delhi residence on 31 October 1984.

Early life and family
Beant Singh was born in a Ramdasia Sikh to Baba Sucha Singh and Kartar Kaur.

Singh's widow Bimal Kaur Khalsa initially joined the Sikh militant group, and then got imprisoned. Later she was elected from Ropar Constituency. His father, Baba Sucha Singh, was also an elected member of the Lok Sabha from Bathinda (Lok Sabha constituency).

Their son Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa was elected to the Lok Sabha from Faridkot in 2024.

Assassination of Indira Gandhi and death
The motivation for the assassination of Indira Gandhi was revenge for Operation Bluestar carried out by the Indian government in Harmandir Sahib, in Amritsar, India.

Gandhi passed a wicket gate guarded by Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, and the two men opened fire. Beant fired three rounds into her abdomen from his .38 (9.7 mm) revolver, then Satwant fired 30 rounds from his Sterling sub-machine gun after she had fallen to the ground. Beant Singh was immediately killed by other guards present and Satwant Singh was hanged in 1989 with accomplice Kehar Singh.

Legacy
In 2003, a Bhog ceremony was held at the highest Sikh temporal seat in Akal Takht, located in the Golden Temple Complex in Amritsar, where tributes were paid.

In 2004, his death anniversary was again observed at Akal Takht, Amritsar, where his mother was honored by the head priest and tributes were paid to Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh by various political parties.

On 6 January 2008, the Akal Takht declared Beant Singh and Satwant Singh 'martyrs of Sikhism'.

Shiromani Akali Dal, the Sikhism-centric political party in India, observed the death anniversary of Beant Singh and Satwant Singh as 'martyrdom' for the first time on 31 October 2008; every 31 October since, their 'martyrdom day' has been observed at Sri Akal Takht Sahib.