UK: Sikh woman charged in Lt Gen Brar attack case

A 38-year-old Sikh woman has been charged in connection with the attack on the 1984 Operation Blue Star hero K S Brar in London last September, taking to four the number of people accused in the case.

"Harjit Kaur appeared in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday charged with wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm on Lieutenant General KS Brar," a Metropolitan police spokesperson said.

Kaur, from Hayes in west London, is the fourth accused to be charged in the case along with Barjinder Singh Sangha, 33, Mandeep Singh Sandhu, 34, and Dilbagh Singh, 36.

The three Sikh men had appeared at Southwark Crown Court on January 18, when Sangha pleaded guilty to the attack on Lieutenant General Brar.

He, however, pleaded not guilty on the charge of assault on his wife Meena Brar.

All four charged in relation to the attack are scheduled to stand trial from April 2.

Lieutenant General Brar had sustained serious, but not life-threatening, injuries when suspected Khalistan sympathisers stabbed him in the neck and cheek in central London.

The 78-year-old, who was on a private visit in London, was heading back to his hotel with his wife, who escaped unharmed and was instrumental in alerting passers-by with her screams to call the police.

While Sandhu admits he was present at the scene but did not participate in the attack, Dilbagh Singh has refused to confirm or deny even his presence on the day.

During the hearing in January, Judge McCreath described the incident as a serious attack and stressed that this lack of a definitive answer from Singh will be construed as a decision not to cooperate with the court.

The retired general, who spearheaded the military raid against Sikh separatists at Golden Temple back in 1984, will give evidence in the trial via live video link from India.

The prosecution claimed there were a large number of eyewitnesses in the case and a timetable of witnesses will be submitted to the court by March 28. The court was also informed about additional evidence, including small parts of CCTV footage, telephonic and medical statements.