M A I N   N E W S

2 KLF terrorists held
Umesh Dewan and Rajneesh Sharma
Tribune News Service

Nabha, February 21
In a major breakthrough, the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the Patiala police, in coordination with the Intelligence Wing of Punjab, claimed to have arrested two terrorists of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) from Nabha. Stating that the terrorists were planning to strike at vital installations in Punjab, senior police officials confirmed that explosives and fire arms had also been seized from the arrested terrorists, identified as Jasbir Singh, alias Jassa, and Harjant Singh, alias DC. The main accused in the case Bakhshish Singh and Pargat Singh are, however, still absconding but raids are being conducted to arrest them.

Confiscated explosives include 40 gelatin sticks, an 8-kg crude bomb with detonator and fire arms, including one nine mm pistol with six cartridges and one .315-bore pistol with five cartridges. While confirming that the arrested duo were behind the planting of the bombs near the LPG Bottling Plant in Nabha, outside the Air Force Station Halwara and the Ambala Military area during the past one-and-a-half months, IG Patiala Zone Paramjit Singh Gill said the recovered explosives were of a very “high intensity” that could lead to devastation, if exploded. “The recovered crude bomb was capable of causing massive damage. The bombs planted in Nabha, Halwara and Ambala failed to explode due to technical reasons,” said Gill.

Giving further details, Gill said, “Yesterday evening, one Indica Car (PB-10-AZ-3472) was stopped by Nabha cops at T-Point, Rajgarh village in Nabha. During search, cops recovered explosives and the duo were apprehended and identified as Jasbir Singh, a resident of Maanki village (Malerkotla) and Harjant, a resident of Bijliwala (Gurdaspur).” During interrogation, Jasbir and Harjant confessed that in the nineties, both remained involved in terrorist activities and had remained in the Maximum Security Jail, Nabha, for a long period. In jail, the duo met Bakhshish Singh, alias Baba, and started working for him.

“In November 2009, Bakhshish, prime accused in the case pertaining to the attack on the convoy of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Karnal, returned to India from Pakistan. Jasbir and Harjant helped him for facilitating his stay in India. Through Harjant, arrangements for arms, ammunition and explosives were made by another hardcore terrorist Harminder Singh, alias Mintu, alias Dalli, alias Goa, from Mumbai, who is hiding in Malaysia,” revealed IG. Both Jasbir and Harjant are already facing about a dozen cases pertaining to heinous crime in various parts of the state. Now, another case under Sections 3/4/5 of the Explosives Act, 25 of the Arms Act, 473 of the IPC and 13, 16, 18, 20 of the Unlawful Activities Act, 1967, has been registered against both of them at Police Station Sadar Nabha.