NEW DELHI: A special NIA court has framed charges against eight terrorists of the proscribed Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) in the assassination of Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu in Punjab last year, a spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency said on Wednesday.
The NIA said the investigation has revealed that the charge-sheeted accused were part of the conspiracy hatched by Pakistan-based leadership of the terrorist organisation.
The special judge for NIA cases, Mohali framed the charges against Sukhraj Singh alias Lakhanpal, Ravinder Singh alias Ravi Dhillon, Akashdeep Arora alias Dhaliwal, Jagroop Singh, Sukhdeep Singh alias Bhura, Gurjit Singh alias Bhaa, Inderjit Singh alias Inder and Sukhmeet Pal Singh alias Sukh Bhikhariwal for various offences inter-alia including those under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Arms Act, the spokesperson said.
Sandhu, who was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his brave fight against terrorists at the peak of militancy in Punjab, was killed at his residence-cum-school in Bhikhiwind village of Tarn Taran by two unidentified persons on October 16, 2020.
Accordingly, a case was registered at police station Bhikhiwind.
The NIA had taken over the investigation of the case on January 26 and had filed a charge sheet against the eight accused of their roles in the conspiracy on April 27.
"KLF chief Lakhvir Singh Rode and his Canada-based deputy Sunny Toronto had tasked Sukh Bhikariwal, a gangster turned terrorist, to arrange shooters and execute the plan," the NIA said.
The spokesperson said Bhikariwal had instructed Sukhdeep Singh and Gurjit Singh to undertake the killing of Sandhu.
Inderjit Singh was involved in the reconnaissance of the target.