The Hindu : National : Babbar Khalsa `human bombs' held in Chandigarh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 17, 2005

National

National

Babbar Khalsa `human bombs' held in Chandigarh

Special Correspondent

RDX seized; the outfit used various modules, say police

— PHOTO: PTI

`ACTED ON PLANS': Two suspected Babbar Khalsa suicide bombers Paramjit Singh alias Baiju (left) and Kamaljit Singh alias Manna (right) arrested in Chandigarh on Saturday. — PHOTO: PTI

CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh police have arrested two alleged "human bombs" of the terrorist outfit, Babbar Khalsa, and recovered from them arms and ammunition including RDX.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Deputy Superintendent of Police B.D. Bector and Inspector Satbir Singh said a party of the Operations Cell arrested Paramjit Singh alias Baiju and Kamaljit Singh from near Kisan Bhawan in Sector 35 in the city. One 0.25 bore foreign-made pistol with ammunition, two detonators and a bag containing two human bomb belts with 450 gm of RDX, switches, wires and battery were recovered from them.

The two were produced in court and remanded to police custody till July 26.

Independent cells

Mr. Bector, who heads the Operations Cell, said investigations established that Jagtar Singh Hawara, Babbar Khalsa leader, had set up several independent modules of the outfit on the instructions of its Pakistan-based chief, Wadhawa Singh.

Hawara would use different cellphone numbers to stay in touch with various modules. He received calls from Wadhawa Singh on a separate number.

Mr. Bector said the modules had no knowledge of the functioning of the others. The idea was that uncovering of one module did not lead to the busting of another. (Hawara was arrested by the Delhi police last month in connection with the bomb explosions in two cinema halls in the national capital in May)

It was established that Hawara had contacted Paramjit Singh and Kamaljit Singh through his old associate, Gurvinder Singh alias Vicky.

Kamaljit, in his late thirties, limped slightly with a polio-affected right leg.

His age profile and appearance were similar to those of Tarsem Singh — another human bomb arrested by the Punjab police.

Code names

Hawara reportedly assigned them code names and met them at various locations including Gurdwara Chahar Sahib and Gurdwara Reru Sahib.

They were given the assurance that the Babbar Khalsa would take care of their finances and look after their families if they joined the struggle and "sacrificed'' themselves. Religious motivation was also used.

Mr. Bector said interrogation of the arrested persons revealed their involvement in the attempted assassination of Ashutosh Maharaj using a human bomb on January 9 this year and the attempted kidnap for ransom of a Ludhiana industrialist. Their disclosures were corroborated by Hawara, who reportedly disclosed that he had a plan to kill Ashutosh Maharaj and another person, Piara Singh Bhaniarawala on a single day — January 9, 2005. He wanted to undertake these acts to create the maximum impact and attract more recruits.

Paramjit Singh and Kamaljit were being questioned about the whereabouts of Gurvinder Vicky, their targets and other contacts of the module, the police said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National