2 more held for attack on Lt Gen who led Op Blue Star

The British police have arrested two more people, including a woman, in connection with the assassination attempt in London on Lieutenant General (retired) K S Brar, who had led Operation Blue Star against Khalistani terrorists in 1984.

Brar, 78, who was in London on a private visit, was returning to his hotel with his wife when he was attacked in central London by four men on September 30. He suffered injuries on his neck and cheek.

A 36-year-old man was arrested in west London on Wednesday on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and inflict grievous bodily harm with intent, while a 55-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

The man is in custody at a police station in central London. The woman has been granted bail and she will have to return on a future date, pending further inquiries.

Barjinder Singh Sangha, 33, of Wolverhampton and Mandeep Singh Sandhu, 34, of Great Barr, Birmingham, have already been charged with intent to do grievous bodily harm on Brar. They had appeared in custody at the Westminster Magistrates' Court on October 8.

Sangha was also charged with "common assault" on Brar's wife, Meena.

The two Indian-origin men will appear before a court for the next hearing on December 7.

"Whether they will plead guilty or not will be known on that day," a spokeswoman of the Metropolitan Police said.

Brar had said that he was convinced it was an attempt to assassinate him undertaken by "pro-Khalistan elements" for his role in the controversial Operation Blue Star, which was aimed at flushing out Khalistani militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

A decorated soldier, Brar saw action in the 1971 war with Pakistan, and was among the first to enter Dhaka when the Indian Army forced the Pakistani Army into surrender.