Gang guilty of Indian Lt-Gen Kuldeep Singh Brar attack Published duration 31 July 2013

image caption Sandhu, Singh, Kaur and Sangha will be sentenced on 19 September

A Sikh gang has been convicted of slashing a retired Indian general's throat in a revenge attack.

Lieutenant-General Kuldeep Singh Brar, 78, was attacked as he walked with his wife in central London on 30 September.

Mandeep Singh Sandhu, 34, of Birmingham, Dilbag Singh, 37, and Harjit Kaur, 39, of London were convicted at Southwark Crown Court of wounding with intent.

Barjinder Singh Sangha, 33, of Wolverhampton, had admitted the charge.

The jury of nine women and two men took just an hour to convict the trio.

Lt Gen Brar was involved in a controversial military operation - Operation Blue Star - against Sikh separatists in Amritsar, north-west India, in June 1984.

'Premeditated assault'

It left at least 500 people dead and left him the target of revenge attacks.

The victim's role in the Indian Army had "made him a target for Sikh extremist groups", the jury heard.

Following the verdict, Mari Reid, of the Crown Prosecution Service said: "The group clearly targeted Lieutenant General Brar in revenge for his actions during his military career and today's convictions are another reminder that the UK will not tolerate extremism of any kind."

Lt Gen Brar and his wife Meena were on their way from their hotel for a night in the West End when the attack happened.

image caption Lt-Gen Kuldeep Singh Brar was with his wife when he was attacked

Kaur was described as being key to the ambush.

She boarded the same bus as the former soldier and his wife of 28 years Meena in order to follow their movements and phone through reports to the rest of the gang, who were in waiting.

When the couple reached Old Quebec Street, Sangha "drew a knife as the other men held the victim", the jury were told.

Brar was left with a 12-inch cut running across his neck and jaw and another three-inch cut to the jaw.

Speaking via a videolink from India, Lt Gen Brar said as a result of the attack his protection ranking was raised to the highest possible.