Our correspondent
Bhikhiwind (Tarn Taran), October 17
A 62-year-old Shaurya Chakra winner who was shot and killed on Friday was cremated here on Saturday under strict security, authorities said.
Comrade Balwinder Singh (Sandhu) Bhikhiwind was shot dead by gunmen on Friday at a school run by his family on Friday. The school also served as the residence of Balwinder Singh.
His last rites were performed amid tensions that have gripped the area since his shooting.
Balwinder Singh was awarded the “Shaurya Chakra,” which is among the highest awards for bravery in the country, in 1993 for his role in fighting militancy.
His family had previously refused to incinerate him until his killers were arrested, but relented when district authorities intervened and promised to take action.
Meanwhile, the police continue to investigate the murder. Chief Superintendent of Police Dhruman H Nimbale said they were passing through security cameras at the school, which was run by the Balwinder Singh family.
Meanwhile, political groups like the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI) have demanded greater security for his family and a government job for a family member.
District police said they had handed over three armed security men to the family for protection. Patti’s subdivisional magistrate, who was at the crown-laying ceremony, said he had asked the state government to consider the claims.
