CBI revives probe into 2011 murder of Namdhari leader
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has released a sketch of one of the suspected assailants in the murder of Avtar Singh Tari, a top Namdhari sect functionary, nearly 15 years after the crime. The agency has also announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for information leading to the identification of the suspect. The move comes months ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections and is seen as an attempt at social engineering by the BJP to woo the Bhaini Sahib Dera, which commands a significant following in the region and among the diaspora.
Details of the murder and investigation
Tari, 57, a resident of Mohali and a close associate of Sant Jagtar Singh, son-in-law of then Namdhari sect chief Satguru Jagjit Singh, was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants on April 12, 2011. The attackers used an AK-47 rifle, firing at him on the Katani Kalan-Chandigarh main road near Ludhiana. Based on a complaint by Balwant Singh, Tari's brother-in-law, a murder case was registered at the Sahnewal police station against Thakur Dalip Singh and two unidentified persons. The CBI took over the case on January 1, 2017, but progress had been slow until now.
Succession dispute and related murders
The murder is linked to a bitter succession dispute within the 225-year-old Namdhari sect. After Satguru Jagjit Singh's death in 2012 at age 92, a power struggle emerged. Thakur Uday Singh, a nephew, was installed as the next head, while Thakur Dalip Singh, another nephew, broke away to lead a rival faction based in Sirsa, Haryana. On April 17, 2026, a special CBI court in Mohali declared Thakur Dalip Singh a proclaimed offender in multiple criminal cases, including the murder of Mata Chand Kaur, the 88-year-old wife of Satguru Jagjit Singh, who was shot dead on April 4, 2016. The CBI had implicated Palwinder Singh, alias Dimpa, an accused in the 2015 Jalandhar tiffin blast case, in her murder.
Widespread resentment among followers
There is widespread resentment among Namdhari followers that the broad daylight killing of Tari remains unsolved after 15 years. The CBI's renewed efforts aim to address this discontent and possibly influence the upcoming elections. The agency has urged the public to come forward with any information on the suspect depicted in the sketch.
