A. S. Atwal

Avtar Singh Atwal was an Indian police officer who served as the Deputy Inspector General of the Punjab Police. He was murdered by three unknown extremists on the steps of Golden temple while leaving after prayers on 25 April 1983 concluded by the CBI investigation that followed. His murder set in motion a chain of events that led to the commencement of Operation Blue Star.

Labh Singh was reported to be involved in the killing by some Indian news media but the CBI investigation contradicted the claim. It was reported that Brigadier Tejinder Singh Grewal, a close relative of Atwal's, and his friend Jarnail Singh Chahal, an IPS officer of the Punjab cadre, had asked Atwal to come to Amritsar on 25 April for discussions on an important matter. Grewal was at that time posted at the army headquarters in New Delhi. Chahal was one of the individuals who had previously negotiated Bhindranwale's surrender at Chowk Mehta in 1981. According to Atwal's family, Atwal initially resisted going to Amritsar, which was way out of his jurisdiction and he felt something amiss but was persuaded by the two Indian government officials over the telephone. The three had a long discussion before Atwal went into the Golden Temple.

While leaving the Golden Temple, Atwal was shot and killed by a lone gunman. Two others were critically injured. The killing took place in broad daylight metres away from his bodyguards and official car. Immediately after the shootout, Atwal's bodyguard and car driver escaped in his car. A group of Punjab Armed Police jawans were stationed nearby but instead of nabbing the assassin, they also fled along with the crowd from the shooting spot. Some news outlets reported that militants from inside the temple came out to celebrate around Atwal's body but no such incident was reported in the CBI investigation nor reported by any eyewitness accounts in the police report. The Sikhs sympathetic to the Akali movement were also appalled by the incident as they viewed it as offensive towards Golden Temple. Akali leaders had an emergency meeting to discuss the aftermath of the murder. Akali Dal such as like Harchand Singh Longowal and Gurcharan Singh Tohra immediately denounced the murder in clear terms on record. Meanwhile, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale also condemned the killing and ascribed the killing to the Indian government.