Chand Kaur murder: Sirsa faction’s group gives a Bhaini Sahib twist

Ludhiana: In a fresh twist to the murder of Namdhari sect leader Chand Kaur, a group owing allegiance to Thakur Dalip Singh, the spiritual head of the sect's Sirsa faction, on Thursday alleged that the April 4 killing was committed with the help of an insider at Bhaini Sahib.
The group, Namdhari Panthak Ekta Action Committee, also alleged that Thakur Uday Singh, the head of the Bhaini Sahib faction, and Sant Jagtar Singh, son-in-law of Chand Kaur, had a falling out with her a few days before her murder.The allegations were levelled by the committee in a memorandum submitted to the police commissioner, after it took out a peace march from Vishwakarma Chowk to the commissioner's office.
Speaking for the committee, Navtej Singh, a leader of the sect's Sirsa faction, described the murder of Chand Kaur, the widow of former sect head Satguru Jagjit Singh and an influential Namdhari figure, as a "deep-rooted conspiracy". "The presence of killers at Bhaini Sahib indicates the role of an insider; everyone knows that not even a bird flies inside the darbar without the consent of Uday Singh and Jagtar Singh," he said. "Chand Kaur working for the unity of the panth (community), and had united the family in 2006 and 2008."
Though Navtej did not take any names, he said that "they were planning to eliminate her". "Chand Kaur was to visit Bangalore on 2 and 3 April with Thakur Uday Singh, but was sent back and was killed on April 4," he said.
The committee also claimed that Chand Kaur would only go twice in a year to the academy outside where she was killed. "Even the route taken that day was not normally used by Chand Kaur," Navtej said. "The circumstances and other indicators suggest that the murder was committed with planning."
"Kartar Singh, an aide of Thakur Uday Singh, said on the day of the crime that a silencer was used by the killers who don't leave any evidence, but the next day police claimed that it could not be fitted in the 9mm weapon which was used in the crime. Also, why did her driver, Ladi, who always used to be with Mata, was on leave on that day? Why did the murder take place in an area where no CCTV were there?" he asked. "Thakur Uday Singh had (indirectly) held Thakur Dalip Singh responsible for the murder of Chand Kaur in front of media, but his aide B S Hanspal had announced a Rs 20-lakh reward for the killers. What does this mean?"