Canada-Based Khalistan Operative Behind 2020 Murder of Shaurya Chakra Awardee: NIA To SC

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has informed the Supreme Court that a “Canada-based Khalistan operative masterminded the 2020 murder of Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu in Punjab.” The agency’s submission pertains to the ongoing investigation into Sandhu’s assassination, which occurred at his residence-cum-school in Bhikhiwind.

The NIA's affidavit reveals that Sukhmeet Pal Singh, also known as Sukh Bhikariwal, and Sunny Toronto, an operative of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) in Canada, along with Lakhveer Singh Rode, the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and head of the International Sikh Youth Federation, were pivotal in planning the crime. The agency claims that the conspiracy aimed to eliminate anti-Khalistani figures in India as part of a broader strategy to revive the separatist movement through violence.

Sunny Toronto allegedly initiated the plan to target Sandhu, viewing him as a significant threat to their agenda. He had been in contact with Inderjit Singh, a radicalized Punjab resident, who facilitated links between local and overseas KLF operatives.

The NIA has emphasized that this assassination is part of a wider effort by the KLF to instigate unrest in Punjab by polarizing communities along communal lines. In recent hearings, the agency reiterated its stance against granting bail to the accused, underscoring the organized nature of the conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the region.

"The main objective of the Khalistan Liberation Force is to create Khalistan by means of an armed struggle," the NIA said in its affidavit.

These revelations come amid heightened scrutiny of the Canadian government’s stance on the Khalistan movement, which has been accused of fostering terrorism and violence in India.