Bathinda, April 7 -- A Faridkot court has allowed a special investigation team (SIT) to examine Varinder Singh Fauji, a former National Security Act (NSA) detainee and a trusted aide of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, as a witness in the 2024 murder case of Sikh activist Gurpreet Singh Hari Nau. Gurpreet was shot dead in Kotkapura on October 9, 2024, while returning home from the village gurdwara on his motorcycle. As per police probe, Gurpreet was allegedly murdered at the behest of MP Amritpal Singh, who has been lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail under the stringent NSA since 2023. The radical Sikh leader and Canada-based designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh Dalla, are among the 17 accused in the murder case. Fauji, a former Indian Army personnel and personal bodyguard of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal, is currently lodged in Tarn Taran's Goindwal jail as an accused in the violent attack on Ajnala police station by a mob led by Amritpal in February 2023. Fauji was initially lodged in Dibrugarh jail in March 2023 under the NSA and shifted to the Punjab jail in March last year after the two-year detention period ended. Faridkot police had moved an application before the trial court stating that Fauji had relevant information regarding the facts of the case and sought to make him a witness in the trial. In an order passed on April 2, additional district and sessions judge Krishan Kant Jain allowed the SIT plea, paving the way for police to secure Fauji's custody through a production warrant. Officials aware of the matter said Fauji's testimony would strengthen the prosecution's case against the accused. However, police authorities remained tight-lipped on what spurred the plea. Except for the Khadoor Sahib MP, the police had invoked various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including murder, criminal conspiracy, organised crime, Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), against the 17 accused. While five accused have yet to be arrested, charges against the remaining 12 were framed in January 2026. A separate chargesheet will be filed once the five accused are arrested. Among them, officials said Amritpal was in Dibrugarh jail, while Arshdeep Dalla and three others are abroad. Following the murder in October 2024, Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had stated that Gurpreet was a close associate of Waris Punjab De founder Deep Sidhu and had joined hands with Amritpal after he took over as its chief. Police officials said later Gurpreet parted ways and began criticising Amritpal on social media, which allegedly led to his murder....