Former ultra Baaj Singh walks free

AMRITSAR: Former Babbar Khalsa International BKI activist Baaj Singh was today released from the Amritsar Central jail

Updated At : 06:49 AM Jan 05, 2016 IST

Baaj Singh comes out of the Amritsar Central Jail on Monday. Tribune photo

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 4

Former Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) activist Baaj Singh was today released from the Amritsar Central jail. Another former militant Hardeep Singh will be released officially on January 7.

The state government has okayed their release on the recommendation of the jail authorities. Both figured in the list of Sikh activist Surat Singh, who had been on an indefinite fast demanding release of Sikh prisoners.

Jail Superintendent RK Sharma said: “It was their good conduct during the jail term which qualified their release. Baaj Singh was released today. The orders to release Hardeep Singh have been received, but he is out on parole for 14 days. He will return on January 7 and after completing the formalities, he too will be released.”

Baaj Singh (62) left the jail with his family members. His elder son Gursharan Singh is a granthi (priest), younger one is studying and daughter is married.

Baaj Singh said he was happy to reunite with his family. He had joined the terrorist group after the Operation Bluestar. “The attack on the Golden Temple had a drastic impact on me and I chose to revolt. But after spending over two decades in jail, I felt like having missed the best moments of my life. But I am happy that I will live the remaining part of my life with my family with no burden on my mind. I have agricultural land sufficient enough to support my family,” he said.

Baaj Singh, a native of Bhullar village in Lopoke, was caught in 1993 and again in 1997. He was sentenced under TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Prevention Act) and in a murder and arms case registered in 1993.

The court had absolved him of TADA charges but convicted him in a murder and arms case. He was awarded life imprisonment.

His sentence ended in 2007. Since then he had been languishing in various jails at Ropar, Faridkot and Amritsar. He was in Amritsar jail since 2001. Hardeep Singh who belongs to Chuselewal village in Tarn Taran, had been in jail for 18 years. He too was relieved of TADA charges, but was imprisoned for life in 1997 in a case of murder. He was 27 when he was arrested for the murder that took place in 1991. He got married while on bail in 2001. He has two sons.