Tribune News ServiceNew Delhi, March 20
In a major breakthrough, three Babbar Khalsa terrorists, including its India operations chief Paramjit Singh Bheora, who was involved in the assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, were arrested in north-west Delhi early this morning.
Bheora and his associates Jasbir Singh and Bhupinder Singh, who were planning to set up a hideout in the Capital, were arrested at Nanglipura village off the G T Karnal Road after a brief encounter.
Delhi Police claimed to have recovered 4 kg RDX, three detonators, one remote control device with a wireless set, one timer, three Star make pistols 39 live cartridges and a stolen Santro car from their possession, said Joint Commissioner (special cell) Karnal Singh.
He said Jasbir and Bhupinder were on their way to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan to procure arms sent by Wadhwa Singh, chief of BKI who is based in Pakistan. Bheora was scheduled to meet his contact in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh.
Bheora had taken over as chief of BKI's India operations after the arrest of Jagtar Singh Hawara in June last year. Besides the assassination of Beant Singh, he was also involved in several cases during insurgency in Punjab.
Bheora was arrested in 1996 and was lodged in the Burail Jail in Chandigarh, from where he escaped in January, 2004 after digging a 100-feet long tunnel. He had gone underground and was in touch with BKI's US chief Harjeet Singh Gill, who was coordinating terrorist activities on the direction of Wadhwa Singh, said Mr Singh.
The three terrorists were sent to six days police custody by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Seema Maini. Karnal Singh said Bheora was also involved in the attempt on former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal in 1995 in Ambala. Bheora and his accomplices were stopped a couple of kilometers away from the venue of the function where Bhajan Lal was scheduled to address.
