Scottish Sikh Part of Plan to Kill RSS Leader in Punjab, Says Indian Investigation Agency

Sikh Scotsman Jagtar Singh Johal was actively involved in planning the murder of RSS leader Ravinder Gosain, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a charge sheet filed in Mohali on May 4. The Indian investigation agency filed a 1,000 page charge sheet against 11 men in the targeted killing of Gosain, who was fatally shot outside his house in Ludhiana in October 2017.

“We have sufficient evidence against Johal,” the NIA counsel told the court of special judge Anshul Berry, according to BBC.

Johal is believed to have met Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Singh Mintoo in France in 2013. He was also allegedly a part of a group that had planned targeted killings in Punjab in 2016 and 2017. According to the National Investigation Agency, Johal gave Minto £3,000 to kill Gosain.

The NIA also claimed that over Rs 23 lakh was sent to Punjab from Italy, Australia and the United Kingdom by pro-Khalistan activists for the targeted killings. The money was allegedly sent through a variety of methods, including money transfer services such as Western Union and Moneygram, banking transactions and hawala channels, to Hardeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh, who were arrested after being identified as the two shooters allegedly involved in the killings in India. Hardeep used the money to purchase weapons, travel between India and Italy, and for other expenditure, including personal expenses, the Times of India quoted the charge sheet as saying.

Among other requests made by the NIA are release of British resident Taljit Singh, alias Jimmy, in the Gosain murder case due to lack of evidence. A separate application to declare four men — Harmeet Singh alias PhD, who is allegedly an ISI-backed pro-Khalistan activist operating from Lahore in Pakistan; Gursharanbir Singh, a British national based in Coventry, UK, allegedly involved in the killing of Rulda Singh, Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, Punjab, president in July 2009; Gurjinder Singh Shastri, a resident of Brescia, Italy; and Gurjant Singh, another alleged pro-Khalistan terrorist who is now residing in Australia — as proclaimed offenders in the case was also sought by the NIA, according to another Times of India report.

The NIA has pressed charges under Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and Sections 302, 34, 379 and 416 of the IPC, Sections 16, 17, 18, 18A, 18B, 20, 21 and 23 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act against Johal.

Johal’s arrest in India prompted protests in the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries. The Dumbarton resident was arrested in Punjab in November 2017. His supporters said that he was tortured while being held by the Indian authorities and the charges against him should be dismissed because of the alleged torture.

Johal’s supporters said that he was not charged of murder but of delivering money to Mintoo in France, according to the Scottish newspaper The National.