4 min readAmritsarOct 18, 2021 01:29 PM IST
First published on: Oct 18, 2021 at 01:24 PM IST
The two accused who had surrendered in the Lakhbir Singh murder case on Saturday, Bhagwant Singh (20) and Govind Singh (25), had come to Delhi’s Singhu border along with their Nihang group after the alleged attacks on protesters following the January 26 violence.
Lakhbir Singh, a Dalit Sikh, was killed allegedly by Nihangs at the Singhu border on Friday for committing sacrilege in the camp of the Nihang body headed by Balwinder Singh of Moian Di Mandi in Punjab’s Fathegarh Sahib.
Talking to The Indian Express, Balwinder Singh said, “Lakhbir was making rounds of our camps for some days. He was talking about making a sacrifice for religion. He was not living with us. It is propaganda that he was living with us. But it is true that he was at Singhu and was moving around for three to four days before this incident.”
“We have a bus parked at Singhu where we have installed all the sacred religious granths, including Guru Granth Sahib, Dasam Granth and Sarab Loh Granth. Lakhbir came to our camp early morning on Friday. Our Nihang attires were hung out in the open to dry. He stole and wore one of them. He came when the priest had gone for a morning bath and there was no one near the bus. He entered the bus and removed the rumalas (clothes over holy text). We have a video in which we also found a matchbox in the bus. He brought the matchbox. Other things were scattered in the bus.”
Balwinder claimed, “Lakhbir took the Sarab Loh Granth to a distance. He placed the Granth at some dirty place and was returning to the bus when the priest came to know about the incident. Meanwhile, Nihangs of other groups had already spotted his suspicious behaviour. He was clean-shaven, so obviously it raised doubts because he was wearing Nihang attire. He was caught and then we know what happened.”
“Our group had come to Singhu after January 26. We saw videos of the mob attack on farmer protesters at the Singhu border after January 26. We saw pictures of how Sikhs were beaten and picked up by Delhi Police from Singhu. So, we decided to come here for the protection of protesters. We reached here at the Singhu border on February 2,” he added.
“Both Bhagwant Singh and Govind Singh have been with my jatha since their childhood. Govind had decided to remain celibate. Bhagwat recently got engaged with the sister of a member from our jatha. Both are Rangreta Sikhs. There is no caste angle in this murder. Nihangs have no caste. I am telling you that they are Rangreta Sikhs as you are asking again and again,” Balwinder said.
Sarabjit Singh, another accused, belongs to Vithvan village in Gurdaspur district. He is from the Nihang body Panjwan Takht Budha Dal. His father is a labourer. Sarabjit’s mother Kashmir Kaur said, “He got baptised from Hazoor Sahib not long ago. One of my sons is specially abled. My three daughters are married.”
“He did right for the sake of the community and Guru. I hope he remains in high spirits,” Kaur added.
At the Singhu border protest site. (Express photo by Amit Mehra) 
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