Catch them if you can

Jupinderjit Singh in Chandigarh

The audacious storming of the Nabha security jail a fortnight back may be the first such strike, but it was not the first time that the gangsters dared the police. The frightening aspect this time was the escape of a proclaimed terrorist, Harminder Singh Mintoo, said to be the chief of the proscribed Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). Security agencies following the leads are alarmed over the likely linkages of criminals, narcotic smugglers and their trans-border contacts. 

It has long been feared that two groups of terrorists from Paksitan who struck at Dinanagar and later Pathankot in the last 15 months, could have reached their destinations with the network of narco smugglers. The escape and quick re-arrest of Mintoo raise these questions again.

An internal note of Punjab Police says: “The growing violent and non-violent crimes are the result of increasing gang activity in communities across the state sharing 553 km border with Pakistan. It also shares 67 km of interstate border with troubled J&K. It has always been the persistent endeavour of Pakistan to launch terrorists/arms/explosives/fake currency/drugs in Punjab with a view of breaching the unity and integrity of the state. The organised criminal gangs have indulged in murder, extortion, land grabbing, contract killings and kidnappings for ransom, in addition to other serious crimes such as drugs and arms smuggling.”

Mintoo, known as a master of global network of terrorists, their handlers, and Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) landed back in custody within 15 hours of the daring escape. State police sources go back to a 2009 police raid in Sultanpur Lodhhi some weeks after Rashritya Sikh Sangat chief Rulda Singh was murdered in Patiala in July that year. Mintoo had escaped the hideout and spent days hiding in fields before managing to slip abroad. A detailed life-sketch of Mintto revealed that he changed many identities, forged documents and passports, including one of a Jammu resident, and lived a luxurious life in Thailand.

While working on Pakistan's ISI's plans to fan the Khalistan movement, Mintoo fought for space within the terror network as some high-profile terrorists such as Ranjit Singh Neeta were against him. He managed to become the KLF chief. The state police and Central agencies spent over Rs 50 lakh to track and arrest him in Thailand.

A senior state police officer said: “Mintoo was practically zero after his arrest from Thailand. Though there is no evidence so far to suggest that the Nabha jail break was planned by terror groups, the fact that Mintoo had received money in the jail from his supporters, local and abroad, is something to be looked at very seriously. The police should have known his friendship with gangsters.” Immediately after the jail break state home minister Sukhbir Badal had said he suspected Pakistan's intelligence agencies' role in encouraging such activities. 

The police have found some trail of the money reaching Mintoo. Director General of Police Suresh Arora has said that funds were received and calls made to Mintoo's friends through Skyps or other means. That would mean a clear and present danger of criminal-terrorist nexus.

As police of Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh get cracking on catching the other escapee, Amandeep Dhothian, Vicky Gounder, Gurpreet Sekhon and Neeta Deol and track planning and funding, the officials and analysts are worried about another big poser: the timing of the escape, dangerously close to the 2017 Assembly elections. 

None other than two of the leading politicians vying for victory in the elections: state Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal have predicted violence in elections.

So far there are four main theories being discussed on the timing of the escape. One is that the motive was to free Khalistan protagonist Mintoo, who was caught within 15 hours of the escape. Second, the gangsters, inspired by the escape of many of their leaders earlier and none of whom was caught again just wanted to be out of the jail and live the high life. Pinda, the leader of the group that stormed the Nabha Jail had fled the Nabha civil hospital. Four armed men had got him freed from the hospital in April 2016.

The third and most worrying is the timing before the elections, where the gangsters can help some political party covertly. And the fourth, which is agreed upon by most is that the gangsters are up to something big maybe targeting a rival gang.

The theory of the plot being linked to Mintoo's freedom is supported by the revelations about the money he was receiving in the jail. Also, he was in touch with Pak-based handlers through phone calls which he made from the jail. However, the theory falls flat as he was caught within 15 hours of the escape. Officials insist Mintoo was a last-minute inclusion in the plan and only piggybacked the fleeing gangsters. “Mintoo surely had revived contacts with ISI agents by using the phones and internet calls of the gangsters. He had been arrested from Thailand after we laboured for five years and spent a huge amount on making our men stay in that country and Malaysia for three months. In contrast, he was caught within 15 hours this time,” said a senior police officer. So, is his re-arrest a smoke-screen?