WELLINGTON: New Zealand's largest-ever drug bust has revived focus on Baltej Singh, the nephew of Satwant Singh -- one of the two bodyguards involved in the assassination of late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 -- highlighting a complex intersection of "international crime, historical legacy and legal complexity", a report said on Monday.
Citing a recent investigation by New Zealand's largest news organisation, Stuff, the Khalsa Vox report said that Baltej Singh has been publicly identified as the central figure behind the record-breaking drug seizure.
The findings published on March 28, the report said, mark the first instance of a New Zealand media outlet naming him, following his decision to drop long-standing legal protections that have kept his identity hidden.
"For nearly two years, Singh's identity remained protected under New Zealand's strict name suppression laws -- legal provisions that allow courts to restrict publication of an accused person's identity. However, these protections apply only domestically. International media outlets, including Indian publications and Canada's CTV News, had already revealed his name in earlier reports, " the Khalsa Vox report detailed.