4 accused in Brar stabbing case to stand trial in July

Three Sikh men and a woman charged with attacking Lt Gen (retd) K S Brar,who led the 1984 Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar,are expected to stand trial in mid-July here,Scotland Yard said on Tuesday. “All accused are likely to stand trial later in the summer,tentatively scheduled for July 15,” a Metropolitan police spokesperson said.

Barjinder Singh Sangha (33) had pleaded guilty to the charge of “unlawful wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm” to Brar at a hearing in Southwark Crown Court on January 18 and will be sentenced at the end of the trial. An initial trial date set for April 2 has been vacated following further developments since the last hearing.

The co-accused,Mandeep Singh Sandhu (34) and Dilbagh Singh (36),who had pleaded not guilty to the same charge are set to appear for another hearing at Southwark Crown Court on April 8. A fourth accused,38-year-old Harjit Kaur,was also charged with “intent to do grievous bodily harm” at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on February 8 in relation to the attack that took place in September last year. Sangha had pleaded not guilty on the charge of assault on Brar’s wife Meena.

Brar had sustained injuries when suspected Khalistan sympathisers stabbed him in the neck and cheek in central London. The 78-year-old was heading back to his hotel with his wife when he was attacked. PTI