Gyani Singh, son of Dull Singh was a resident of Phoolayree, Patiala in Punjab. He was a Kuka activist. He along with other activists including Attar Singh and Bhagwan Singh was involved in the attack on Malodh on 14 January 1872.
The principles of boycott and non-co-operation, which Mahatma Gandhi introduced in the freedom movement, were expounded by Guru Ram Singh for the Namdharis. The organization of the Namdharis became very strong. The Guru’s Non-co-operation Movement was based on a few things such as boycott of education institutions of British and laws established by them. They were rigid in their clothing and wore only hand-spun white attire.
There was a serious outbreak in 1872, when some of the Kukas made an attack on Malerkotla and occupied it. On 14 January 1872, about two hundred Kukas attacked the towns of Malodh and Malerkotla. Gyani Singh and other Kuka activists attacked Malodh. After the attack, the Kuka activists fled from the Nawab's police, and British troops hunted them down. Ludhiana's Deputy Commissioner Cowan rounded them up and executed fifty of them without a trial. Ambala Commissioner Douglas Forsyth accepted this illegality, tried a few more, and legally had them executed. Although he disavowed these attacks and kept the police informed, Ram Singh was held responsible and spent the rest of his life in prison at Rangoon.
Gyani Singh was arrested and charged for dacoity with murder under Section 396 of Indian Penal Code. He was sentenced to transportation for life to Andaman and imprisoned in the Cellular Jail situated at Port Blair of South Andaman.