Terror suspect’s family seeks ‘impartial’ probe

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, February 12

Family members of Sandip Singh, alias Sunny, a youth from Talwandi village of Moga district who was arrested by the Pathankot police on the charge of having links with terror outfits and Pakistani spies, have challenged the contentions of security agencies.

They have demanded an “impartial” investigation into the allegations. They claimed he could not be involved in any anti-national activities as he was brought up amid an atmosphere of patriotism.

Sandip’s mother Harjit Kaur and wife Jaswinder Kaur said he was picked up by the Moga police from the village house and kept under “illegal” confinement for four days at the Mehna police station before being handed over to the Pathankot police.

“When we went to the Mehna police station to meet Sunny along with the village sarpanch and other influential people of the area, the local police officials misbehaved with us and did not allow us to meet him,” alleged his wife.

The youth’s mother said, “My husband has served in the Army for three decades. We are law-abiding people with no criminal background. There is no question of my son having worked for terror outfits or Pakistani intelligence agency,” she said.

Jaswinder said she and her husband went to Mohali in 2012 to prepare for IELTS and lived in a house as paying guests. With regard to Pakistani spy Irshad Ahmed, she said he met her husband in Mohali and they were just friends. “There was nothing beyond friendship between them. We do not know whether Irshad has any links with a terrorist organisation or Pakistani intelligence agencies,” she claimed.

Rashpal Kaur, sarpanch of Talwandi village, too vouched for Sandip’s character and family background.