Did Late KPS Gill's Proximity with PM Modi the Reason for Removal of Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj from Zee5? Here's How Both are Related

DILJIT DOSANJH’S LONG OVERDUE FILM SATLUJ (originally titled Panjab 95), based on the life of Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has hit another roadblock since its release on the OTT platform Zee5 on July 3, 2026. After undergoing several delays and changing the film's title multiple times, it was officially released on July 3, 2026. However, just two days after its digital release, Zee5 removed the film, causing widespread outrage on the internet.

Zee5 shared a statement on social media saying, “In light of the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audience at the earliest opportunity.”

Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj was earlier scheduled for a theatrical release but later faced several controversies. According to reports, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had recommended a total of 127 cuts. The film was initially scheduled for a theatrical release in 2025 but was eventually delayed.

See Also: Diljit Dosanjh Wins ₹50 Lakh on KBC, Refuses to Leave Hot Seat: Turns Quiz Show into a Laughter Fest

What is Satluj about?

Earlier titles of Satluj were Ghallughara, which means "massacre" or "genocide" in a historical context, and Panjab 95. Dosanjh’s Satluj is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who is portrayed by Dosanjh himself. Khalra investigated the alleged cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab. He was collecting evidence of the illegal abduction and cremation of human bodies during the insurgency period (mid-1980s to mid-1990s) in Punjab, India. 

Following its removal from Zee5, several social media users expressed shock and disappointment over the film's sudden removal in India. Some users criticised the film and the subject it covers, while many others expressed their disapproval over the film’s unavailability especially in India. However, one question still persists: Why was the film removed from an OTT platform even after undergoing numerous cuts and having its title changed three times?

Portrayal of KPS Gill in the Movie and His Proximity to Modi 

At the time of the Punjab insurgency, IPS officer Kanwar Pal Singh Gill (popularly known as KPS Gill)  served as the Director General of the Punjab Police from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1991 to 1995. He retired from the Indian Police Service in 1995.

As per a report by The Hindu, a character in the film named DGP Inderpal Singh Bitta is based on KPS Gill, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 82. The film portrays Bitta as a figure who rejected the human right plea proposed by Khalra and follows the events surrounding the alleged real-life atrocities that occurred during that period.

Gill’s tenure as Punjab’s Director General earned him widespread recognition, particularly for his mandate to flush out militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, allegedly by using brute force. He became a controversial figure due to allegations of human rights violations during his tenure. He commanded Operation Black Thunder in May 1988. One of Gill’s most controversial decisions was expanding a bounty system that rewarded police officers for killing militants, which later allegedly led to widespread extrajudicial killings in the state.

Gill Served as Security Advisor to Narendra Modi 

Following the Punjab episode, Gill was appointed as the Security Advisor to Gujarat after the 2002 Gujarat violence, which began after the S6 coach of Sabarmati express was burned in Godhra, Gujarat on February 27, 2002, leading to the deaths of 59 Hindu pilgrims.

During this period, current Prime Minister Narendra Modi was serving as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. A decade after the violence, in 2013, KPS Gill gave Narendra Modi a clean chit, saying, “The Gujarat riots were a failure of the police... The police were a blunt instrument during the riots.”

Jaswant Singh Khalra gained widespread attention for his investigation into the thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings and cremations of Sikhs in Punjab involving the Punjab Police. According to Khalra’s investigation, more than 25,000 people were allegedly killed and cremated across Punjab.

As per a letter from Human Rights Watch to the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) dated 2005, Jaswant Singh Khalra’s investigation concluded that, between 1984 and 1994, security forces had allegedly abducted people, carried out extrajudicial executions, and secretly cremated thousands of Sikhs. The investigation further revealed that, in Amritsar alone, more than 2,000 cremations were allegedly carried out in secret.

Khalra’s reports also claimed that such secret cremations had taken place across the state. In 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra suddenly disappeared. Later in 2005 six Punjab Police officers were convicted in connection with his disappearance and murder. Two of the convicted were eventually sentenced to life imprisonment where.

(Edited by Ritik Singh)

FAQs