India for Interpol notice against 3 Khalistan ultras

New Delhi, October 15

After successfully getting Red Corner Notice (RCN) against eight Khalistani militants, Indian agencies are now pushing the Interpol to do the same in case of three more, including KCF chief Hardeep Singh Nijjer, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) chief Wadhawa Singh Babbar and his deputy Mehal Singh.

Sources said Wadhawa had personally supervised the assassination of the late Punjab CM Beant Singh on August 31, 1995. He is also believed to have masterminded the January 2004 escape of assassination-accused Jagtar Singh Hawara from Burail Jail in Chandigarh. 

It is learnt that all of them are currently in Pakistan and their extradition requests are pending. “If we manage Interpol RCN against them, we will be able to restrict their movement,” said a senior IPS officer. The Interpol has issued RCN against eight militants, including Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leader Harmeet Singh alias PhD (Pakistan); Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (face of banned organisation Sikhs for Justice), Gurjit Singh Cheema and Gurpreet Singh (Canada); Jagdish Singh Bhura (Belgium) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) leader Gurmit Singh Bagga alias Doctor (Germany).

In its investigation, the NIA has found that PhD, Pannun and Cheema were behind the killing of RSS and Shiv Sena leaders in Punjab in 2016-17. 

Investigators who probed arms-drop case in Punjab by Pakistan using drones said Bagga’s brother Gurdev was taken into custody by the state police for his alleged involvement in the incident as it was believed that he worked for KZF chief Ranjeet Singh Neeta and the ISI.

At a conference of the chiefs of anti-terrorist squads yesterday, the NIA had claimed Khalistani terror groups were emerging new threat again with the help of Pakistan. — TNS