Only 5 UAPA cases in Punjab this year

Punjab has recorded a decline in the number of cases registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) this year (till August 31) compared to the previous years.

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The UAPA cases are considered indicative of the incidence of terrorism in an area. Though most of the persons arrested under UAPA belong to Sikh terror groups, the Punjab Police have also arrested two Hindu members of a terror group this year. Persons booked under the UAPA can be denied bail for long if prima facie there is a strong case against him.

Only five UAPA cases have been registered in the state this year against 14 in 2023, 25 in 2022 and 14 in 2021.

Sources said the police along with intelligence and counter-intelligence units were able to carry out a number of pre-emptive operations against terror modules, thereby thwarting some conspiracies to disturb the law and order situation in the state.

Officials said almost all main accused in the five UAPA cases lodged this year had been arrested.

Shooters Mandeep Kumar, alias Mangi, and his cousin Surinder Kumar were arrested last month in connection with the killing of right-wing activist Vikas Prabhakar, alias Vikas Bagga, in Nangal on April 13.

Usually, those carrying out attacks on right-wing VHP, RSS or Bajrang Dal leaders were Sikhs, but these two were Hindus who carried out the killing at the behest of Portugal-based Babbar Khalsa International operative Harjit Singh Laddi belonging to Nawanshahr and Kulbir Singh Sidhu of Jagadhari in Haryana. Gangster Harvinder Kumar, alias Sonu Khatri, helped them.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also arrested two persons, including arms supplier Dharminder Kunal and Jagjit Raju. Bagga was targeted for alleged anti-Sikh posts on social media.

The killing of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Rattandeep Singh was another sensational case. Allegedly responsible for a number of targeted killings in the state, he was killed near Balachaur in Nawanshahr on April 3.

Rattandeep’s killing was carried out by Babbar Khalsa International operatives. The BKI suspected he was involved in the killing of Paramjit Singh Panjwar in Pakistan in May 2023. Rattandeep had stayed in Pakistan after escaping from India in 1999 where he was wanted in connection with a number of bomb explosions and killings. In 2014, Rattandeep returned to India via Nepal to carry out more terror activities, but was nabbed in Gorakhpur.

The BKI suspected he was involved in the killing of Panjwar. With the help of US-based Punjabi gangster Gopi Nawanshehriya, shooters Jaspreet Jassi and Simarjit Singh Bablu killed Rattandeep.