CHANDIGARH: National Security guards are being posted in the three border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur to contain stepped up militancy while five freedom fighters including area commander, Charanjit Singh Channi, were among 13 persons killed in Punjab since Tuesday night.

A hardcore militant Satnam Singh alias Satta was arrested in Patiala district, while militants attacked two spo posts in Majitha area in Amritsar district but there was no causality.

Sources said that the NSG men would be posed in the three border districts in the first week of July next as part of the govt offensive.

Police said that Charanjit Singh Channi of the Khalistan Commando Force who was responsible for about 20 killings, 10 bank dacoities and extortion of lakhs of rupees was killed when security forces and police raided village Udhoke under Mehta police station on specific information.

Channi who was standing outside a house was asked by the police party to provide information about hideouts. On this, Channi took out a pistol and fired at the police but no one was hurt. He then ran into the village and hid in a house where he was killed in the ensuing encounter. One foreign made pistol and some cartridges were recovered from him.

Another unidentified man was killed in an encounter with security forces in village Kalsian under Bikhiwind police station in Amritsar district. His three accomplices were chased by security forces and in the ensuing encounter two of them were killed. One of them was identified as Mukhtiar Singh. One AK 74, one AK 4 7 Chinese assault rifle, two bombs one general purpose machine gun and 312 cartridges were recovered from the spot.

One suspected person was killed and another injured by two scooter borne extremists near Dhuri railway crossing in Ludhiana.

The killed person was identified as Jatinder Pal. The Ludhiana SSP, Paramjit Singh Sandhu said that inter gang rivalry was the cause of the crime.

Two intruders from across the border were shot dead. One intruder believed to be a Pakistani national was killed and four managed to escape back in an encounter with the Jawans of the BSF near Daoke post in Valtoha area.

Another intruder was killed in the Khem Karan sector. A bullet riddled body of an unidentified person was found in village Verowal under Tarn Taran police district. Police suspected it to be a case of person enemity.

Gunmen kidnapped four employees of a bank in Ghaddiwind under Chabbal police station this afternoon but they were released later. The ultras, however took away the bag of the bank manager. JALANDHAR: Harjeet Singh Thathikhara, 55 was shot dead by gunmen at his farm house outside Thathikahara village near Tarn Taran district Wednesday night,

Thathikahara was an active leader of the Akal Dal (Talwandi faction) till two years back

Article extracted from this publication >> June 22, 1990