Bapu Atma Singh, the father of Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, was approximately 67 to 70 years old when he was apprehended by officers from the Sarhali Police Station on 25 August 1991, at his residence. The operation was led by DSP Gurmeet Singh Randhawa and SSP (Tarn Taran) Ajit Singh Sandhu. He was last seen in police custody on 24 October 1992, after which his family never received any information about his fate.

Although his son, Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, was a prominent Kharku leader, Bapu Atma Singh himself had no involvement in any militant activities. Despite this, he had been detained 25 times before his disappearance.