Hardcore Babbar held
Six policemen arrested

GURDASPUR, Oct 9 (UNI) — The police today claimed to have arrested a hardcore Babbar Khalsa terrorist and his 15 accomplices, including six personnel of the Punjab police.

Border Range Deputy Inspector-General Sumant Kumar Goel today said the gang leader, Dilbagh Singh Bagha, nabbed along with three accomplices in Situ last night, was a murder convict who escaped from the custody of a Batala police at the District Courts premises here on September 28.

Bagha, who was brought here for a hearing in one of the several murder cases pending against him, was arrested at the Tibri bypass on the outskirts of the town along with his accomplices. Three pistols loaded with 10 bullets were seized from the accused, Mr Goel told mediapersons here.

Mr Goel said Bagha's wife, Baljinder Kaur, and mother-in-law Balbir Kaur, who were involved in the conspiracy which led to his escape from the court complex, were arrested last night. The arrested policemen were identified as ASI Harjit Singh, Head Constable Surjit Singh, and constables Bikramjit Singh, Kabul Singh, Karnail Singh and Gurnam Singh, all of whom had been suspended.

Twentynine-year-old Bagha, who was undergoing life imprisonment for the murder of Bijwa village sarpanch Jaswant Singh Bedi in 1990 after he had surrendered in 1992, is the son of dismissed Head Constable Charan Singh. Charan Singh was dismissed from service for his links with terrorists during the militancy period.

The DIG said Bagha's accomplices nabbed last night had been identified as Balwinder Kumar of Dadwa village, Kuldip Singh, alias Dimple of Sindhwa village and Major Singh of Buttar Kalan, all in Gurdaspur district.

Mr Goel said Bagha started planning his escape in Gurdaspur jail after his conviction in the murder case with undertrials Balwinder Kumar, Major Singh, and Satbir Singh of Batala. The plan was set in motion soon after the release on bail of the three undertrials. The threesome came in contact with Kuldip Singh and he agreed to form a five-member gang headed by Bagha with the objective of resuming terrorist activities.

When the police party led by ASI Harjit Singh from Batala came to the Sessions Courts here on September 28, Balwinder Kumar was already there with the motor cycle to engineer his escape. Bagha's wife and mother-in-law were also present in the court premises.

During a brief meeting in the court complex, Bagha tipped off his wife that he would reach Talwandi Jungla village, where his mother's sister Randhir Kaur lives. At 1230 hours on September 28, Balwinder Kumar managed to drive away Bagha on his motor cycle due to "police negligence", the DIG explained.

The police officer said Bagha was driven to the house of Kuldip Singh where the threesome had tea and planned the further course of action. Bagha then left alone on a scooter borrowed from Kuldip Singh and visited Talwandi Jungla.

He later visited his sister-in-law Sukhwinder Kaur in Nangal Bagwana before going to Major Singh's house at Buttar Kalan. He also visited Hardip Kaur, another sister of his mother in SAS Nagar's Phase X. Bagha also took shelter in Amb Sahib Gurdwara there, the DIG added.

He said when police pressure increased, Bagha fled to Jammu and Kashmir. In Srinagar and Anantnag he met Kashmiri terrorists. After spending 12 days in the valley, he returned to Gurdaspur in the hope that the police vigilance may have slackened.

Sukhwinder Kaur was arrested on October 4 but Bagha's relative Hardip Singh had not been caught yet. Besides Bagha, the accused in the case, Gurwinder Kaur, too, was arrested on October 4, the DIG said.