NIA files chargesheet in case of attempt to kill Shiv Sena leader

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 22

The National Investigation Agency on Friday charge sheeted eight men accused of attempt to murder of Shiv Sena leader Amit Arora in a special Mohali court.

Firearms were used on the evening of February 3, 2016, while Amit Arora was sitting in his car parked near Jyoti Motors, Basti Jodhewal, on GT Road in Ludhiana.

According to the agency, the attempt on the life of Arora “was part of a transnational conspiracy hatched by senior leadership of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF)”.

The agency said eight incidents of targeted or attempted killings were executed as part of this plan between January 2016, and October 2017, in Punjab. 

“All the persons targeted belonged to certain specific communities and organisations. The objective of the conspiracy was to destabilise the law and order situation in Punjab and to revive the fledgling terrorism in the state,” said agency officials. 

Those charge sheeted include Hardeep Singh alias Shera, alias Pahalwaan; Ramandeep Singh alias Canadian, alias Bagga; Dharminder Singh alias Guguni; Anil Kumar alias Kala; Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, alias Johar; Harmeet Singh alias Happy, alias PhD, alias Doctor (Suspected to be in Pakistan); Gurjinder Singh alias Shastri (Suspected to be in Italy); and Gursharanbir Singh alias Gurusharan Singh Wahiwala, alias Pehalwan (Suspected to be in UK).

The accused have been charged under Sections 120-B, 307 of the IPC; Sections 16, 17, 18, 18A, 18B, 20, 21 and 23 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 as amended and Sections 25 & 27 of the Arms Act, 1959.

The NIA in a formal statement also claimed that the conspiracy had its footprints in several countries, including Pakistan, UK, Australia, France, Italy and UAE.

“As part of the conspiracy, substantial amounts of funds were supplied through Italy, Australia and the UK to the perpetrators of the killings/ attempted killings, viz. Hardeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh. These funds were used by them to purchase weapons for executing the killings and other logistics,” added the agency. 

Further the agency alleged that Hardeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh were recruited and trained in Italy, Dubai and UAE.

Hardeep Singh is the permanent resident of Italy while Ramandeep Singh belongs to Ludhiana. 

“Both these persons were trained by one Gursharanbir Singh, a UK national. Another UK national, Jagtar Singh Johal, who has been arrested in the case was involved in the funding of the conspiracy. Day to day coordination of the conspiracy was done by Pakistan-based Harmeet Singh,” said the NIA. 

The charge-sheet filed in the Mohali court is based on evidence collected from oral, documentary, material and electronic sources. The agency is still in the process of collecting further evidence from other countries.