The suspect responsible for the shooting of the dera kar seva chief at the Nanakmatta Sahib Gurdwara in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar was killed in an encounter by the Uttarakhand STF and Haridwar Police on Tuesday, Uttarakhand DGP Abhinav Kumar told news agency ANI.
Baba Tarsem Singh was fatally shot on March 28 within the premises of the shrine by Sarabjit Singh and Amarjit Singh, who arrived on a motorcycle. The dera kar seva chief was seated in a chair when the assailant, riding pillion, fired at him with a rifle.
“The Uttarakhand Police took the murder of Baba as a grave challenge and the STF and local police were in relentless pursuit of the perpetrators. Stringent action will be taken against criminals engaging in such atrocious acts within Uttarakhand,” the state’s top law enforcement official said.
Amarjit Singh, with 16 prior cases, linked to Baba Tarsem Singh’s murder
Haridwar senior superintendent of police Parminder Doval said that the encounter occurred between Kaliyar Road and Bhagwanpur in Haridwar. He further mentioned that Amarjit Singh has more than 16 cases registered against him.
Five individuals were implicated in the murder of Baba Tarsem Singh. The FIR listed the two attackers—Sarabjit Singh and Amarjit Singh—IAS officer Harbans Singh Chugh who heads the Nanakmatta Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, Baba Anup Singh and Pritam Singh Sandhu, the vice-president of a regional Sikh organisation.
Sarabjit Singh had a criminal history, having previously been arrested for severing the hand of an individual who allegedly touched the Guru Granth Sahib with unwashed hands, according to India Today TV.
A special investigation team (SIT) comprising personnel from the Special Task Force and local police was established to investigate the case.