Chand Kaur, wife of late Namdhari sect head guru, shot dead in Ludhiana

Kaur was coming out of the Satguru Pratap Academy after meeting children, when two youths on a motorbike came and requested to touch her feet, a sewadar of Kaur, who was accompanying her, told The Indian Express.

“After touching her feet, one of them opened fire and then they ran away. It all happened in a flash. It was part of her routine to visit the academy at Bhaini Sahib and meet children,” said Lakhveer Singh, Namdhari sect spokesperson.

The post-mortem was conducted at Civil Hospital, Ludhiana. A huge rush of Namdhari supporters was witnessed at Apollo Hospital and Civil Hospital. “The post-mortem report has revealed that the bullet which hit her chest crossed through the heart which was the cause of the death. We have got some lead but persons who fired the shots are yet to be identified. Tomorrow, during the cremation heavy security cover will be there to avert any clashes at Bhaini Sahib,” said DCP Dhruman Nimbaley.

Ludhiana Police Commissioner J S Aulakh said, “We have deployed adequate police force at Bhaini Sahib, Khanna, Machhiwara and nearby areas. Our priority is to main law and order. An FIR against unidentified persons has been registered at Koomkalan police station.”
The Namdhari supporters protested against her nephew Thakur Dalip Singh and demanded his arrest. They also tried to vandalise public property and block traffic but were controlled by the police. They took out a protest march shouting slogans like “Dalip Singh nu giraftaar karo (Arrest Dalip Singh)”.

“We all know how and and on whose directions my mother was brutally murdered. Still I request the Namdhari sangat to maintain peace and to not indulge in any violence. Let police investigate and catch the culprits,” said Thakur Uday Singh, Dalip Singh’s younger brother.
“Youth supporters got violent and alleged Dalip Singh’s role in this murder. Thakur Uday Singh has appealed to supporters for peace and do nothing which can defame Namdhari sect,” said spokesperson Lakhvir Singh.

Following the death of her husband Jagjit Singh in 2012, Kaur had supported Thakur Uday Singh as successor of the gaddi (highest guru seat). However, the opposite faction wanted Thakur Dilip Singh, the elder brother of Uday Singh, to be declared as successor. Uday Singh and Dalip Singh are sons of Maharaja Bir Singh, brother of Satguru Jagjit Singh. Satguru Partap Singh, in whose name SPS Hospitals run across the country, was father of Jagjit Singh. Kaur had refused personal security cover and would spend her time preparing langar (community kitchen), visiting gaushala (cow shelter), school and old-age home set up at Bhaini Sahib by Namdharis.

Sahib Kaur is the only daughter of the couple. “Chand Kaur never vouched for her grandson Jai Singh (son of Sahib Kaur) to be the successor. She obeyed Satguru Jagjit Singh who wanted Uday Singh to be his heir and told this to her before death,” said a Namdhari follower.