A US court on Wednesday ruled that Kulvir Singh Barapind, a Sikh militant, should be returned to India.

Barapind has been accused by India of murdering 52 people and injuring 13 during the Punjab insurgency for 'violating' religious codes.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals said Baripand, who was arrested and detained in Los Angeles in 1993 on charges of having a fake passport, should be returned to India to stand trial.

Barapind was the deputy chief of Khalistan Commando Force, one of the main secessionist groups operating for a decade in Punjab.

He claimed his prosecution was politically motivated, that there was not enough evidence against him and that he should remain in the United States because he would be politically persecuted and tortured upon return because of his religious beliefs.

Agencies