A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Wednesday sentenced two men, Harpal Singh alias Raju (50) and Gurjeet Singh Nijjar (42) for conspiring to revive the Khalistan movement and indulging in illegal acts. The former is a driver from Karnataka and the latter is a labourer from Punjab. They admitted to the allegations against them and were sentenced to five years of incarceration.
The duo were found guilty of many offences, notably terrorism-related charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), according to special judge A M Patil besides relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Maharashtra Police Act.
Even though the accused accepted their guilt, the prosecution argued that in light of the facts and circumstances of the case, they should face the worst punishment possible. However, defence attorney H Y Kotwala and the duo maintained that they are the sole wage earners in the household.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad initially reported the case on December 2, 2018, when Harpal Singh was taken into custody. Later, it was turned over to the NIA. On December 22, 2020, Gurjeet Singh Nijjar was placed under arrest. The amount of time they have already served in prison will be reduced from the final sentence.
Sundar Lal Parashar, a retired assistant commissioner of police (ACP) in Delhi, and Moin Khan are the other two individuals currently awaiting trial in the same case. The NIA asserted that the four conspirators planned to revive Sikh militancy with the purpose of establishing a distinct Khalistan state.
The prosecution stated that in an effort to persuade impressionable Sikh youths to join the Khalistan movement, the accused posted videos and messages in support of terrorists Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Jagtar Singh Hawara (who was convicted of killing former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh), as well as videos about Operation Blue Star and the outlawed Babbar Khalsa International. The primary conspirator was Gurjeet Singh Nijjar, who had spent a number of years living in Cyprus.
“After understanding the contents of the charge, voluntarily and willingly, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge. Both the accused are fully aware of the consequences of advancing plead guilt,” the judge noted.
