Four Babbar Khalsa terrorists arrested

Chandigarh, Mar 21 (UNI) Chandigarh police have succeeded in busting a Babbar Khalsa International module, arresting four of its operatives, within a day of the arrest of BKI terrorist Paramjit Singh Bheora in New Delhi yesterday.

The four were identified as Sukhwinder Singh alias Bullet, Dilbagh Singh, Ranjit Singh and Balbir Singh alias Nepali. The four were taken into custody by a police party outside PGIMR last night.

Giving details today, SSP Gaurav Yadav said that the module was operating under the command of Jagtar Singh Tara, a top BKI terrorist who alongwith Jagtar Hawara and Bheora had plotted the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. The three alongwith a hardcore criminal Devi Singh had escaped from the high security Burail jail here in January 2004.

One kg RDX, one AK-47 rifle alongwith 16 cartridges, a .38 bore US made colt (pistol) and one country made pistol was recovered from their possession.

Referring to the preliminary interrogation of the four operatives, Mr Yadav said that Dilbagh and Ranjit were given the consignment of arms and weapons by Jagtar Tara, who was instrumental in recruiting the two into the BKI. Sukhwinder was to be sent to Pakistan for training, he added.

Regarding Balbir Singh, the SSP said that he was a Nepalese who had converted to Sikhism some years back and was arrested by the police in 1996. It was Balbir who helped Jagtar Tara and Devi Singh cross over into Nepal after their escape from Burail jail in 2004, he added.

Asked about the likely targets of the group, Mr Yadav said that so far they had not been assigned any task. He said that though the four were members of the BKI but it was yet to be established whether they had any links with Bheora or Jagtar Hawara, who was arrested last year by the Delhi police and is currently under detention.

The SSP said that their links with BKI chief Wadhawa Singh, who is based in Pakistan were yet to be established.

UNI HS RP AT KN1511