Singhu Border Lynching: Punjab govt constitutes SIT to investigate Lakhbir Singh's death

In a major development in connection with the horrific lynching at the Singhu border, the Punjab Government on Wednesday formed a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the killing of Lakhbir Singh, to find out the real identity of a few Nihang leaders.

"Three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Varinder Kumar, ADGP & Director, Bureau of Investigation, Punjab constituted to investigate the Singhu border killing," informed Office of DGP Punjab.

Republic Media Network has accessed the state government's SIT order

Singhu border lynching

A 35-year-old man was found tied to a barricade with one of his arms chopped off, near the Singhu border on Friday. His body was mutilated with over 10 injuries caused by sharp weapons. The body was later taken for postmortem to a nearby civil hospital by the police. The victim has been named as Lakhbir Singh, a Dalit Sikh labourer, according to the FIR accessed by Republic Media Network. 

According to police, Lakhbir Singh was a Dalit Sikh labourer from Cheema Khurd village in Punjab's Tarn Taran district and was allegedly living with the Nihangs in their tent near the Singhu border. The Nihangs have accused the deceased of desecrating the holy Sarbloh Granth. 

A Sonipat court on Sunday remanded all three accused namely- Narayan Singh, Bhagwant Singh and Govind Preet Singh to 6-day police custody. Out of the three accused, Bhagwant Singh and Govind Preet Singh belonging to the Nihang order had surrendered before the Sonipat police in Kundli on Saturday evening. The two who hail from Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib were immediately taken into custody after they confessed to their role in the murder. The third accused Narayan Singh was arrested by the Amritsar Rural police at Amarkot village in Amritsar. 

Punjab Dy CM Alleges Conspiracy

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Tuesday said that the lynching of a labourer at the Singhu border could be a possible conspiracy to defame the farmers' agitation. Randhawa cited a purported photograph of Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar with a Nihang leader to support his claim. The group photo cited by the minister saw Tomar and a man in blue robes of the Sikh order of the Nihangs.