Shaurya Chakra Awardee Balwinder Singh Who Fought Against Terrorism In Punjab Shot Dead
Amritsar : Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who fought against terrorism in Punjab and awarded the Shaurya Chakra in the year 1993, was shot dead by unknown assailants in Taran Taaran district of Punjab on Friday. The government had withdrawn his protection some time ago. Police said the motorcycle-borne assailants fired four bullets at 62-year-old Sandhu while he was in his office at his home in Bhikhiwind village in the district. The attackers fled from the spot after attacking. Sandhu was rushed to the hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Sandhu fought against terrorism in the state for many years and 16 terrorist attacks were carried out on him when Khalistani terrorism was at its peak in Punjab. Balwinder Singh Sandhu’s brother Ranjith said that the state government had withdrawn Sandhu’s security a year ago on the recommendation of the Tarn Taran police. He said that his entire family has been the target of terrorists. Balwinder Singh Sandhu also appeared in some documentaries. Inspired by Sandhu and his family, many people defended themselves from terrorist attacks.
Sandhu was awarded the Shaurya Chakra by the Central Government in 1993. The citation of the Shaurya Chakra awarded to him stated, “Balwinder Singh Sandhu and his brother Ranjit Singh Sandhu were against terrorist activities. They were on the target of terrorists. The terrorists made 16 attempts to end Sandhu’s family in about 11 months.” It wrote, “The terrorists attacked him in a group of 10 to 200, but each time the Sandhu brothers, with the help of their brave wives Jagdish Kaur Sandhu and Balraj Kaur Sandhu, successfully thwarted the efforts of the terrorists.”
The terrorists first attacked the family on 31 January 1990. After that, the family was attacked on 30 September 1990 when around 200 militants surrounded their house and attacked them with dangerous weapons for about five hours. These weapons also included rocket launchers. The citation stated that in this planned attack of terrorists, the path leading to the house was blocked and landmines were laid so that no help from the police could reach them.
It said that the Sandhu brothers and their wives confronted the terrorists with pistols and sten guns provided to them by the government. The resistance shown by the Sandhu brothers and their family members forced the militants to retreat. It was stated in the citation that all these individuals have shown great courage and bravery to face the attacks of terrorists and thwart the repeated assassinations.
