Nephew of Indira Gandhi's assassin sentenced in New Zealand
What's the story
Baltej Singh, the nephew of Satwant Singh who assassinated former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison by the High Court of Auckland, New Zealand. He was found guilty of possessing 700kg of methamphetamine. The synthetic drug was discovered during a police raid at a warehouse in Manukau in 2023, where it was allegedly concealed within beer cans.
Network revelation
Investigation uncovers methamphetamine network
The probe in this case was launched after 21-year-old Aidel Sagala died after drinking meth disguised as beer. Himatjit Jimmy Singh Kahlon was convicted of manslaughter for Sagala's death. During his trial, Kahlon alleged he had been manipulated by a "trusted businessman friend," later identified by intelligence sources as Baltej.
Family reaction
Singh's family dismisses conviction reports as 'fake news'
Baltej is the son of Sarwan Singh Agwan, brother to Satwant, who assassinated Gandhi on October 31, 1984. His family migrated to New Zealand in the 1980s and opened a grocery store in Auckland. He last visited India in December 2019 for over two months. His relatives in Punjab have dismissed reports of his conviction as "fake news," adding there is "no official communication regarding this development."
Separatist links
Singh's alleged involvement in pro-Khalistan activities
Reportedly, Baltej is also active in pro-Khalistan activities in New Zealand. Amritpal Singh, a jailed Lok Sabha MP and radical pro-Khalistan separatist, is said to be close to one of Baltej's uncles. Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh guards after she decided to deploy the Indian Army during "Operation Blue Star" at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.