Lalit Maken
{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Lalit Maken
| office = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
| term = 1984 – 1985
| predecessor = Charanjit Singh Atwal
| successor = Arjun Singh
| constituency = South Delhi
| birth_date = {{birth date|1951|10|16|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1985|7|31|1951|10|16|df=y}}
| death_place = Kirti Nagar, West Delhi, India
| death_cause = Gunshot wound
| party = Indian National Congress
| children = Avantika Maken
| spouse = Gitanjali Maken
| relations = Shankar Dayal Sharma (Father in Law)
Ajay Maken (Nephew)
|}}
Lalit Maken (16 October 1951 - 31 July 1985) was a Member of parliament, a political leader of the Indian National Congress and a labour union leader. Maken was the son-in-law of former President of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma.
In 1984, he was elected to the Lok Sabha as a directly elected MP from South Delhi of India. He was a metropolitan Councillor prior to his election to Parliament. He was one of the rising stars of the Indian National Congress. Young, personable and a go-getter, Lalit Maken was obviously a man with a bright future, popular with his constituents and his political colleagues. He was among the most promising young parliamentarian. Outspoken and a firebrand trade unionist, he will be remembered for his valiant struggle for the downtrodden. {{cite news |title=Congresi MP Lalit Maken, wife shot dead by unidentified assailants in Delhi |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19850815-congressi-mp-lalit-maken-wife-shot-dead-by-unidentified-assailants-in-delhi-801891-2014-01-01 |work=India Today |date=15 August 1985 |access-date=13 April 2025}}
Assassination
Maken and his wife Gitanjali, the daughter of the future president Shankar Dayal Sharma, were gunned down by Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Shindu aka KC Sharma,{{cite web | url=https://june84.com/shaheed-bhai-sukhwinder-singh-shindu-aka-kc-sharma/#Lalit_Maken_Assassination_-_31st_July_1985 | title=Shaheed Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Shindu aka KC Sharma - June84 | date=30 November 2024 }} Sukhdev Singh Sukha and Ranjit Singh Gill alias Kukki for his alleged involvement in riots outside Maken's Kirti Nagar residence in West Delhi on 31 July 1985.[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081010/punjab1.htm#11 The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Punjab] Lalit was shot while he was moving towards his car parked across the road from his house in Kirti Nagar, New Delhi. All three assailants continued firing even as Maken ran towards his house for cover. Gitanjali and a visitor, Balkishan, were also caught in the firing. Gitanjali died on her way to the hospital. The assailants escaped on scooters.[http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2007/stories/20030411002004500.htm A life sentence] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429183514/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fline/fl2007/stories/20030411002004500.htm |date=29 April 2011 }} Lalit, Gitanjali and Balkishen were taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. The postmortem examinations were conducted by a team of doctors headed by T.D Dogra.
Police later arrested Sukhdev Singh Sukha in 1986 and Harjinder Singh Jinda in 1987. Both of them were later sentenced to death for the murder of Indian Army general Arun Shridhar Vaidya (architect of Operation Blue Star) and on 9 October 1992; they were hanged in Yerwada Central Jail in Pune in Indian state of Maharashtra.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/protests-after-hanging-of-sikhs-1556488.html Protests after hanging of Sikhs - World, News - The Independent] As per an Indian request, Ranjit Singh "Gill" was arrested by Interpol in New Jersey, USA on 14 May 1987. A federal magistrate approved his extradition on 6 February 1988[https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/06/nyregion/metro-dateline-extradition-of-sikh-is-approved-in-jersey.html The New York Times, 6 February 1988] after he requested to go back home (the request was earlier denied thrice){{cite web|url=http://www.leagle.com/decision/20011152170FSupp2d982_11025 |title=IN RE EXTRADITION OF SING | 170 F.Supp.2d 982 (2001) | p2d98211025 |publisher=Leagle.com |date= |accessdate=2022-08-12}} and he was deported back to India in February 2000 after lengthy legal cases and was sentenced to life imprisonment on 24 February 2003. His sentence was commuted on 20 May 2009.[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090521/punjab.htm#11 The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Punjab]
Family
Former Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, Ajay Maken is his nephew. His only child (daughter), Avantika Maken married Suchiter Sharma in 1997. Later, she filed for divorce and married Ashok Tanwar in 2005, former President of the Indian Youth Congress and Member of Parliament.{{Cite web |title=India’s National Fortnightly Magazine |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=Frontline |language=en}}
Both Ajay Maken{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040207/punjab1.htm#7|title = The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Punjab}} and Avantika Maken had requested the early release of Lalit Maken’s killer Ranjit Singh Gill.[http://www.southasiapost.org/2009/20091130/features.htm South Asia Post] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728041934/http://www.southasiapost.org/2009/20091130/features.htm |date=28 July 2011 }}[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kuki-returns-home-to-complete-degree/443043/ Kuki returns home to complete degree]{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1130413/jsp/nation/story_16781031.jsp |title=Orphan pardons 'killer' of parents |website=www.telegraphindia.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618063143/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130413/jsp/nation/story_16781031.jsp |archive-date=2013-06-18}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maken, Lalit}}
Category:1985 murders in India
Category:People murdered in Delhi
Category:Deaths by firearm in India
Category:Trade unionists from Delhi
Category:Lok Sabha members from Delhi
Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Delhi
Category:Victims of Sikh terrorism
Category:Asian politicians assassinated in the 1980s
Category:Indian politicians assassinated in the 20th century