NIA files chargesheet against eight terrorists in Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu murder
New Delhi, April 27
The NIA filed chargesheet in murder case of Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a Shaurya Chakra Awardee by terrorists of proscribed terrorist organisation KLF (Khalistan Liberation Force).
The accused were identified as Sukhraj Singh alias Sukha alias Lakhanpal from Gurdaspur, Punjab, Ravinder Singh alias Ravi Dhillon from Ludhiana, Punjab, Akashdeep Arora alias Dhaliwal from Ludhiana, Punjab, Jagroop Singh from Ludhiana, Punjab, Sukhdeep Singh alias Bura from Gurdaspur, Punjab, Gurjit Singh from Gurdaspur, Punjab, Inderjit Singh alias Inder, from Tarn Taran, Punjab and Sukhmeet Pal Singh alias Sukh from Gurdaspur, Punjab.
The chargesheet was filed in the NIA Special Court, Mohali, Punjab under sections 120B, 201, 212 and 302 of IPC, Sections 25(1B) and 27 of Arms Act and Sections 16, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 23, 38, 39 and 40 of UA (P) Act.
According to the NIA, the case relates to killing of Comrade Balwinder Singh, Shaurya Chakra awardee in October 2020 at his residence-cum-school in Bhikhiwind, District Tarn Taran by two unidentified persons. A case was registered in Tarn Taran, Punjab. The NIA had re-registered the case in January 2021 and taken up the investigation.
The NIA investigation revealed that killing of Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu was executed with the intent to strike terror in the minds of people of India and especially those opposed to Khalistani ideology. The transnational conspiracy in the instant crime was hatched by Pakistan based self styled chief of KLF Lakhvir Singh Rode and top foreign based KLF terrorists who provided arms/ammunitions and funds to the accused persons.
The officials added that a well-oiled Terrorist-Narcotics-Criminal nexus wherein narcotic drugs along with weapons were smuggled by Pakistan based entities from across the International Border in Punjab for generation of funds for executing terrorist acts has also been unearthed. The NIA had earlier investigated 8 similar incidents of targeted killings and attempted killings by KLF between January 2016 and October 2017, wherein seven persons belonging to specific communities were killed.
The officials further added that the investigation has established that foreign based KLF leadership had recruited, financed and armed a local gangster Sukhmeet Pal Singh and tasked him to execute the killings through his associates. After the reported killing of Harmeet Singh, Pakistan based Operational chief of KLF in Pakistan in Jan 2020, Sukh Bikhariwal was directed by Lakhvir Singh Rode and other KLF operatives through encrypted communication platforms to kill Comrade Balwinder Singh.
The reconnaissance of the target was carried by chargesheeted accused Inderjeet Singh and sharp shooters Gurjit Singh and Sukhdeep Singh were recruited for killing Comrade Sandhu, officials added.
The other chargesheeted accused are associates of Sukh Bikhariwal who were instrumental in organizing logistics and shelter to the shooters.
The NIA is further investigating against foreign based Khalistani entities including Lakhvir Singh Rode and others.
