CHANDIGARH: Car borne suspected militants shot dead Balwant Singh, a senior Akali Dal Badal leader and for mer state finance minister, two of his security guards and his driver when they were travelling in a car here around 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
The killers said to be four in number were in a white Maruti car with tinted glasses. They reportedly followed Balwant Singh as he left his firm’s office in Sector 34 for lunch, As Singh’s car turned to the road dividing Sectors 20 and 30 from the Ambala Chandigarh highway, the assailants drove alongside and fired at its tires bringing it to a halt. The police escort which was following hit Balwant Singh’s car. From inside their car the assailants fired a volley of shots into Singh’s car killing him on the spot. Sub inspector Harjinder Singh of Punjab Armed Police who was sitting next to Balwant Singh also died before he could use his sten gun. Constable Kulvinder Singh of PAP who was in the front seat and the driver Kishen Chand were also hit and killed.
Since Balwant Singh was on the militant’s hit list, the car and the police escort were provided to him by the Punjab govt. Balwant Singh was on the hit list because he was a coauthor of the discredited Rajiv Longowal accord.
Haryana chief minister Gupta and HPCC1 president condemned the killings. But no senior leader of Punjab has issued any statement,
Article extracted from this publication >> July 13, 1990
