NIA court sentences two men accused of conspiring to revive Khalistan movement to five years in jail

Mumbai, June 7

A special NIA court here on Wednesday sentenced two men to five years’ imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to the charge of trying to revive the Khalistan movement.

Harpal Singh alias Raju and Gurjeet Singh Nijjar were convicted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act besides relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Maharashtra Police Act.

During the trial, both pleaded guilty before special judge for National Investigation Agency cases A M Patil and requested that they be given a minimum sentence as they were sole earning members of their families.

The court awarded them five years’ jail term.

The case was first registered by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on December 2, 2018, with the arrest of Harpal. It was later handed over to the NIA.

Singh and Nijjar, along with two other arrested accused, hatched a conspiracy to revive the Sikh militancy with the objective of creating a separate Khalistan state, the NIA claimed.

Among other things, the accused posted videos and messages in praise of slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Jagtar Singh Hawara (convicted for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh) and videos related to Operation Blue Star and the banned Babbar Khalsa International with the intention of motivating vulnerable Sikh youths to join the Khalistan movement, the prosecution said.

Gurjeet Singh, who was living in Cyprus for some years, was the main conspirator, the NIA said.

The trial against the other two accused will continue.