NIA court denies bail to accused in Shaurya Chakra awardee’s murder case
NIA court observes that the accused could “threaten the witnesses and tamper with evidence” if let out on bail; accused’s counsel had stated that he was arrested on March 2, 2021, and since then, he has been in custody even when nothing was recovered from him.
The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mohali has denied bail to Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Sukhmeet Pal Singh, alias Sukh, in Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu’s murder case, stating that he could “threaten the witnesses and tamper with evidence”.
Sandhu, who was conferred the bravery award for fighting terrorism in Punjab, was gunned down by two bike-borne men at his residence-cum-school in Bhikhiwind town of Tarn Taran on October 16, 2020. The NIA had taken up the investigation on January 26, 2021.
Sukhmeet’s counsel, Amit Agnihotri, stated in court that the bail applicant was innocent and implicated in this case.
He further argued that the applicant was arrested on March 2, 2021, and since then, he has been in custody even when nothing was recovered from him.
“There is nothing on record to prove that the applicant ever worked for KLF or was ever a member of the said organisation. No incriminating article, document or anything related to the banned organisation was ever recovered from him to prove the allegations of the investigating agency,” he said.
“It was argued that the probe agency alleged that six mobile phones were recovered from the possession of the applicant in which there were some photographs of the victim’s dead body, but that does not prove that he was involved in the criminal conspiracy of killing of Comrade Balwinder Singh,” the counsel for the applicant further submitted.
He added the investigating agency also relied upon the screenshots of the chat allegedly stated to have taken place
between the present applicant and other accused of the case but there was nothing in those chats to prove that there was a discussion going on killing Balwinder Singh.
On the other hand, Urfi Masood Syed, senior public prosecutor for NIA, opposing the bail, contended that the arrested co-accused persons involved in the crime revealed that they were instructed and tasked to commit the crime by accused Sukhmeet Pal Singh, Sunny Toronto, a KLF operative based in Canada, and Lakhbir Singh alias Rode, the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala and chief of terrorist outfit KLF and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF).
The NIA further argued that the custody of the bail applicant was essential as, if released on bail, he could influence the witnesses, tamper with the evidence and may also flee from justice.
Denying bail to the accused, the court of Manjot Kaur, special judge, NIA, Punjab, pronounced, “In view of the serious nature of allegations, the bail applicant is not entitled to the relief of bail, as prayed for. Accordingly, finding no merits in the application, the same stands dismissed”.
