Four accused to face trial from October 19

MOHALI:With the court of CBI special judge, Mohali, Karunesh Kumar, framing charges against four accused in 2015-Jalandhar tiffin-blast that aimed to kill Bhaini Sahib-based sect head, Satguru Uday Singh, trial in the case will begin on October 19.

The accused are Jagmohan Singh, alias Manga of Gadaipur; Hardeep Singh of Bholath; Harbhej Singh of Sirsa and Palvinder Singh, alias Dimple of Delhi. Palvinder is the former driver of Thakur Dalip Singh, the head of the rival faction of the Namdharis; he was arrested from Bangkok and deported to India on October 11, 2018.

They would face trial under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC; the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.

Two other accused, Mehenga Singh of Sirsa, and Ratan Singh have already been declared proclaimed offenders.

SUCCESSION ROW BEHIND ATTACKS: CBI CHALLAN

In the challan filed in January this year, the CBI had said that Palvinder had confessed to hiding in Thailand and was not joining investigation at the instance of Thakur Dalip.

CBI investigation had pointed out that the accused, in November-December, 2015 entered into a conspiracy to eliminate Uday Singh, the head of the Namdhari sect, and Jagtar Singh, son-in-law of sect matriarch Mata Chand Kaur, in a blast at Hariballabh Sangeet Sammelan in Jalandhar to be held on December 25, 2015.

The challan also mentioned the succession row. It said, “After their previous guru, Satguru Jagjit Singh, expired in 2012, Mata Chand Kaur had supported Uday Singh, nephew of Jagjit Singh, to be the successor. This led to a succession row between Uday Singh and elder brother Thakur Dalip Singh. Therefore, in the instant case role of Thakur Dalip is being suspected and all accused are Namdharis, and are followers of Dalip Singh.”