40 years ago August 10, 1986: Badal, Tohra arrested

Prakash Singh Badal and Gurcharan Singh Tohra, both former prominent figures in Punjab, were arrested on August 10, 1986, for breaching orders that barred them from entering Delhi for a month. The two Sikh dissidents were apprehended at the Singhu border, where they had refused to comply with the externment orders and had forcibly entered the city.

The arrest occurred following a dispute with Delhi Police. During the same incident, a tragic event unfolded in Trincomalee district, Sri Lanka, where two Tamil civilians, including a child, lost their lives when Tamil militants opened fire on a foot patrol. Four security personnel were also injured in the attack. The militants launched their assault on a patrol that was en route from Kattaparaichan.

In response to the attack, the security forces were temporarily barred from retaliating due to the proximity of a refugee camp. Additionally, police have apprehended Manbir Singh Chaheru, also known as General Hari Singh, the chief of the Khalistan Commando Force, from Bootan village, located on the outskirts of the city. He was seized from the residence of Major Baldev Singh Ghuman, a retired officer.

During the arrest, law enforcement recovered a significant cache of weapons, comprising a light machine gun, an SLR, a Springfield rifle, two muskets, two .303 rifles, one double bore gun, and 1.082 cartridges. Meanwhile, in a separate matter, the US State Department has defended its decision to proceed with nuclear weapons testing, rejecting appeals from six world leaders.

The department argued that nuclear testing was necessary to counter what it deemed a "massive Soviet build-up" and to maintain international security.