Amritsar, April 5
Much to the surprise of the Punjab police, a terrorist of the Khalistan National Army (KNA), Gurdev Singh, alias Pappy, a resident of Maqbool Road, here, who had taken refuge in Germany, surrendered before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Kishori Kumar, yesterday.

The police came to know about the dramatic surrender today.

Gurdev Singh is among the few surviving terrorists from this border district, including Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, Chief of the Khalistan Cammando Force, Mehal Singh Babbar, Wadhawa Singh Babbar and Parmjit Singh Panjwar, chief of KCF (Panjwar).

Mr Narinder Paul Singh, district police chief, said he had convened a high-level meeting to probe the dramatic appearance of the terrorist in the court. He would give details of the surrender tomorrow.

Intelligence agencies are baffled over the entry of Gurdev Singh in India. It is believed that he might have travelled on a fake passport, like Wassan Singh Zaffarwal.

According to sources, Gurdev Singh was declared proclaimed offender by the Punjab police which had failed to nab him. At least four criminal cases were registered against him at police station, Civil Lines. The first FIR (number 157) was lodged against him in 1987 under Sections 392, 307, 25, 54 and 59 of the Indian Penal Code. Another case was registered the same year under Section 392 at the same police station. The third case was registered in 1992 under Sections 307, 148, 149, 34, 25, 54, 59, 5 and 6 and TADA. He was again booked under TADA (FIR number 101), 302, 148, 149 and at the Police Lines.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate has sent Gurdev Singh to the high security jail, here.

The police sources said that Pappy had slipped to a foreign country by using the Nepal route about 10 years ago when his leader, Parmjit Singh, alias Pamma, a resident of Gurdaspur, was killed in a police encounter. Apart from Germany, he visited several countries including the USA, Singapore and Thailand. At 34, Pappy, is single.

Dr Bachan said he had received a communication from the Prime Minister’s office in the evening about the cancellation of jathas to Pakistan.

The meeting was attended by top officials of RAW, the Intelligence Bureau, External Affairs and Home. Though Mr Tarlochan Singh, Vice-Chairman, Minorities Commission, and Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Secretary-General, Shiromani Akali Dal and Union Minister, made efforts to convince the Prime Minister to give the green signal to the jathas, yet the meeting denied permission on the ground that it was not safe to send jathas due to the heightened tension in the region.

The meeting felt that after the tragic incidents in Gujarat, Sikh devotees could not be safe in Pakistan.

However, Mr Parmjit Singh Sarna, a former President, Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee, and Mr Harpal Singh Bhullar, president, Bhai Mardana Yadgari Trust, condemned the decision of the government. They said it was not proper to stop Sikhs from visiting Pakistan to pay obeisance at gurdwaras there.