PATIALA: Filing another chargesheet in the cases of targeted killings that took place in
Punjab between January 2016 and October 2017, the
National Investigating Agency (
NIA) has charged 15 persons for hatching a conspiracy and executing the
attack on RSS leader Naresh Kumar, who had escaped the murder bid at the RSS branch at Kidwai Nagar, Ludhiana, in January 2016.
The chargesheet was filed in the NIA special court in Mohali in which the agency named 15 persons, including Hardeep Singh Shera, Ramandeep Singh Canadian, Dharminder Singh Guguni, Anil Kumar Kala, Jagtar Singh Johal Jaggi, Amaninder Singh Mindu, Manpreet Singh Mani, Ravipal Singh Bhunda, Pahad Singh, Parvez Farru and Malook Tomar, who are already in NIA’s custody. Besides, Harmeet Singh PhD, Gurjinder Singh Shastri, Gursharanbir Singh and Gurjant Singh Dhillon, who are reportedly operating from foreign shores to destabilise the law and order in Punjab, have also been named.
The NIA stated that no evidence could be found against Taljit Singh Jimmy during the investigations. He is also in the custody of the agency. The accused have been charged under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 307 (attempt to murder), 34 (common intent), 379 (theft) and 416 (cheating by impersonation) of the IPC and 16, 17, 18, 18-A & B, 20, 21 and 23 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, 1959.
In the chargesheet, the NIA stated that an attempt was made to kill RSS leader Naresh when two motorcycle-borne youth opened fire at him on January 18, 2016. Initially, the Punjab police had registered a case under Sections 307 of the IPC and 25 of the Arms Act at division-II police station and incorporated Sections 10, 11, 13 and 16 under the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act to the FIR. Later, the NIA registered a corresponding case on December 12, 2017, after the investigations were handed over to it.
Representative image