CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Police have arrested Gurdeep Singh, alleged to be a top " militant'' of the Babbar Khalsa Group and a close associate of Jagtar Singh Hawara. He is also said to be one of the main accused in the January 2004 Burail jail break case along with Hawara, who has been charged with assassinating the former Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh.

According to an official spokesman, Gurdeep Singh, 34,who hailed from village Alampur in district Fatehgarh Sahib of Punjab, was arrested early on Monday morning from Surja village in Kurukshetra. A Chinese pistol and 14 live cartridges were seized from him. He said Gurdeep Singh used to reportedly collect funds for Hawara and also used to hide arms and ammunition. He was absconding and was wanted in the Burail Jail break case.

First met in 1988

According to preliminary investigations, Gurdeep had met Hawara for the first time in 1988 through one Sher Singh in village Muranda in district Ropar of Punjab. In 1990, he was declared proclaimed offender by Punjab Police as he was linked with Pirthi Singh of Babbar Khalsa Group, who was killed in an encounter with Punjab police.

In 1999,Gurdeep along with Sukhpreet of district Patiala and Fariad Ali reportedly looted Rs. 3 lakhs. They also robbed Rs. 9.05 lakhs from a property dealer in Ludhiana. Two months after this incident they were nabbed by Punjab Police and Gurdeep remained in jail for around 20 months. Gurdeep reportedly met Lakhwinder Singh of Dera Mir Miya, Fatehgarh Sahib -- a close associate of Hawara who was held in Burail jail -- during court dates.

Waited outside jail

In January 2004, Gurdeep and Lakhwinder's wife, Baljit Kaur, waited outside near Burail jail in car and helped Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara, Paramjit Singh Bheora and Devi Singh Garhwali escape from jail.

Investigations had revealed that Hawara had met him at village Sahazadpur in Punjab and gave him a mobile phone and Rs. 10,000 in cash. After 15 days, Hawara gave him a pistol, 15 live cartridges and two magazines.

He also gave him five detonators and nine kg RDX and taught him how to use RDX. They had reportedly planned to kill Baba Pyare Singh Bhaniyara Wala but did not succeed. The spokesman said Gurdeep was staying in Suzra village for the last three months under a fictitious name.

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