Key accused, two aides held for Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu's killing

Tarn Taran, August 9

The police today arrested a key accused in the murder case of Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu. The accused, identified as Gurwinder Singh, alias Baba, was arrested from here. Two of his aides — Sandeep Singh, alias Kala, and Gurpreet Singh, alias Randhawa, were also arrested, the police have said.

The police have seized a hand grenade, an RDX-IED, two .30 bore pistols, magazines, 13 cartridges, 635-gm heroin, 100-gm opium, Rs 36.90 lakh drug money and a Mitsubishi Lancer car from them.

Inspector General (IG), Ferozepur Range, Jaskaran Singh and Tarn Taran Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ranjit Singh Dhillon told the media Gurwinder Singh, a proclaimed offender (PO) of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), had provided the shooters with the weapons to kill the Shaurya Chakra awardee.

Sandhu was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Tarn Taran in October 2020. He was awarded Shaurya Chakra in 1993 for fighting Khalistani militancy in Punjab.

The investigation has revealed Gurwinder is a close associate of gangsters Sukhpreet Singh, alias Harry Chatha, and Sukhmeetpal Singh, alias Sukh Bikhariwal, a prime suspect in the Shaurya Chakra awardee’s murder case, he said.

The preliminary investigation indicated that the seized explosives and arms were to be used to disrupt peace and harmony in the state on or around the Independence Day, the police have said.

Gurwinder, along with his aide Sandeep, was on his way to Khadoor Sahib in the white Lancer car when the police intercepted them.

The probe suggested that the seized explosives, arms and drugs were smuggled via drones from Pakistan. The police did not specify how and from where Gurpreet Singh was. An FIR under the NDPS Act, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act and Aircraft Act has been registered.

Explosives, Rs 36.9L drug money seized

• The police have seized a hand grenade, an RDX-IED, two pistols, 635-gm heroin, Rs 36.90 lakh drug money and a car
• Preliminary investigation suggested the seized explosives, arms and drugs were smuggled via drones from Pak
• Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Tarn Taran in 2020