The NIA informed the Supreme Court that a conspiracy was hatched by a Canada-based individual linked to the Khalistan Liberation Force to kill Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu in Punjab in 2020. This development comes at a time when relations between India and Canada have soured over Ottawa’s recent claims about the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
New Delhi rejected the Canadian allegations as “absurd and baseless,” accusing Canada of hosting elements inimical to Indian sovereignty.
Sandhu was shot dead outside his house in Tarn Taran in 2020; he was awarded the gallantry medal for his services against militancy in the 1990s. The NIA, in its affidavit, said that two individuals, identified as Sukhmeet Pal Singh alias Sunny Toronto and Lakhveer Singh, were given the task of killing Sandhu. Lakhveer Singh is stated to be the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Both the suspects are at large. The affidavit states that both of them conspired to target anti-Khalistan figures in India to revive Khalistani activities through violence. They allegedly contacted a man called Inderjit Singh in Punjab and sought his help in the plot against Sandhu.
NIA underlined and clarified that the Khalistan Liberation Force is an organization that desires to establish Khalistan by armed struggle. The people opposing Bhindranwale’s ideology would be the prime targets for which Sandhu was identified.
The accusatory tone from Canada that Indian diplomats were involved in the murder of Nijjar-so far vehemently denied by India. India’s relations with Canada deteriorated very significantly. New Delhi recalled its diplomats from Canada and expelled six Canadian diplomats.
In a related development, the Canadian Sikh leader, Jagmeet Singh, has also demanded a ban on the RSS and sanctions against Indian diplomats. “We demand that the Liberal government impose severe sanctions on Indian diplomats and banish the RSS, a violent, militant organization.”
This came after the Canadian government had briefed him on the allegations it had made against India. Meanwhile, India had accused the Trudeau administration of abetting anti-India activities by giving safe refuge to Khalistani terrorists.
