Intelligence agencies probe Tara’s links in Pak, Thailand

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 19

Central intelligence agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB), today questioned Jagtar Singh Tara about his links in Pakistan and the links “that were still actively helping him during his stay in Thailand”.

The intelligence agencies are closely following the vital leads in the statements of arrested terrorist Jagtar Singh Tara, who is at present in five-day police remand.

The IB officials kept their visit a top secret, but sources confirmed that the investigating agencies were trying to ascertain if the whole plot to eliminate Beant Singh was “drawn and planned in Pakistan” with help from extremist leaders within India and if any of those links were still active.

Last evening, the police team escorted Tara to the Banur police station where a counter intelligence team questioned him about another attack which was recently planned against some people who had allegedly “attacked Jagtar Singh Hawara during a court hearing”.

In November 2011, during a court hearing, five activists allegedly belonging to a right-wing outfit had assaulted Hawara on the premises of the district court.

Though no officer was willing to confirm the same on record, sources said Tara was in touch with some Pakistan-based links to seek revenge for the attack.

Intelligence and police investigations involving former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassin Jagtar Singh Tara are at present focussing on his Paksitani connects. The links could pose a major challenge for the state and Central agencies as they apprehend possible terror strike in near future.

“He is being questioned by the counter intelligence unit of the Punjab Police in addition to the central intelligence units which camped almost the whole day today at the Crime Investigation Agency police station, where Tara is lodged at present,” said a senior police officer.

“His grilling is crucial to ascertain cross-border threats that are still looming large as the Pakistani connects not only helped him escape from one country to other, but also facilitated his stay in a foreign country on fake documents,” claimed the police officer.

Earlier this month, the Thai authorities, acting on a tip-off from the Punjab Police, arrested Tara from the house of a member of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Tara is accused of planning the suicide attack on Beant Singh in 1995 in Chandigarh, an act of terror that resulted in the death of 18 people.

At present, Tara is in custody for the Rulda Singh murder case. Punjab Rashtriya Sikh Sangat president Rulda Singh was shot on July 28, 2009, by two assailants who later fled in a waiting car.

Sources have confirmed that Tara’s questioning is also a unique case study for the police department to know about his escape route after the jailbreak and his experience of escaping to Pakistan dodging the entire security network in India.

“This is a serious breach of security and was not possible without active help of outsiders,” they added.

The Khalistan Tiger Force commander and his accomplices Paramjit Singh Bheora, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Devi Singh were arrested after the incident, but escaped from the high-security Burail Jail in Chandigarh.

Tara was arrested from Thailand’s eastern province of Chon Buri on January 5 following a raid on a house owned by a Pakistan national.

Tara, who was using the alias Gurmeet Singh, was arrested by the Thailand police following intelligence inputs provided by the Indian agencies and the Punjab Police.

Ropar police to seek Tara’s custody

Ropar: The district police will seek the custody of Jagtar Singh Tara. A case under Section 307 of IPC was registered against the dreaded terrorist for allegedly firing at a police party in 1991. Ropar SSP Varinder Paul Singh said Tara was a proclaimed offender in the case registered in the district. It was on March 26, 1991, when Tara along with other accused Paramjit Singh Bheora, Jaswinder Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Jasvir Singh allegedly fired at a police party led by Station House Officer Lakha Singh at the Railon Khurd road here. A case under Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder) and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered against them. After his arrest, Tara was released on bail in the case following which he was found involved in assassination of Beant Singh. — TNS