After a nearly three-year certification battle, Diljit Dosanjh’s film Satluj has finally been released on Zee5.
The film, which was earlier titled Punjab ’95, is directed by Honey Trehan and is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
The project had remained in limbo after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reportedly asked for 127 cuts, according to the filmmaker. It has now arrived on the streaming platform with zero cuts and a new title.
Along with Diljit Dosanjh, the film also features Kanwaljeet Singh, Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in key roles.
As Satluj reaches audiences through its OTT release, here is a look at the real-life figure whose story inspired the film.
Who Was Jaswant Singh Khalra?
Jaswant Singh Khalra was a human rights activist from Punjab who became known for exposing cases of alleged illegal killings and secret cremations during the militancy years in the state.
Born in 1952 in Khalra village in Amritsar district, he worked as a bank employee in the 1980s before becoming actively involved in human rights work.
The Investigation That Brought Jaswant Singh Khalra Into The Spotlight
As per media reports, the events following Operation Blue Star, the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots deeply affected him. During that period, many Sikh families reported that their relatives had gone missing after being picked up by the Punjab Police on suspicion of having links with militancy.
As more people around him disappeared, Jaswant Singh Khalra began collecting information. His research eventually led him to municipal corporation records in Amritsar, where he reportedly found documents containing the names, ages and addresses of thousands of people who had allegedly been killed and illegally cremated by the police without informing their families.
His findings brought national and international attention to the issue and made him one of the most recognised human rights voices from Punjab.
Jaswant Singh Khalra’s Disappearance And The Court Case
In 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra himself went missing. According to the Khalis Foundation, he was last seen washing his car outside his home before he disappeared.
The following year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found evidence that he had been held at a police station in Tarn Taran. The agency recommended the prosecution of nine Punjab Police officials in connection with his kidnapping and murder.
The legal battle continued for years. On October 16, 2007, a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, headed by Justices Mehtab Singh Gill and A N Jindal, increased the punishment to life imprisonment for four of the accused – former Sub-Inspectors Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh and Jasbir Singh, along with former Head Constable Prithipal Singh.
Jaswant Singh Khalra is survived by his wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, and their two children, Navkiran Kaur and Janmeet Singh.
