CHANDIGARH: Security forces claimed that they shot dead one of the killers of All India Radio (AIR) Patiala officiating station director M.L.Manchanda in an encounter while elsewhere 16 militants were among 25 killed in state of Punjab on May 27
Security forces shot dead Bani Gurdial Singh in an encounter in Ambala in the neighboring state of Haryana. The militant was a senior leader of the militant outfit Babbar Khalsa International which had claimed the abduction and killing of Manchanda
Five militants including the deputy chief and area commander of the militant “Bhindranwale security force of Khalistan” Kashmir Singh and Jamail Singh respectively were killed in an encounter with security forces near Pandori Sidhwan village in Amritsar.
Police recovered the body of Kulwant Singh who was abducted near village Basarke in Amritsar district. Another bullet ridden body of a youth was recovered by the police in the Khalra Nagar in Amritsar.
Four top militants of the Bhindranwale Tigers force of Khalistan (BTFK-Manochahal) were killed in a joint operation by the army and other security forces in Bara Talia village in Tarn Taran police district.
Three of the slain militants were identified as Lt. Gen Kulwinder Singh alias Pappu area commanders Ranjit Singh alias Rana and Baj Singh alias Baja.
Meanwhile the police recovered a body (head and torso) near the Shambhu barrier in Patiala and have asked family members of Patiala All India Radio station director M.L.Manchanda to identify it. “We are not in a position to say anything tll the family identifies it” a police spokesman said after some colleagues of the air official who was abducted by the Babbar Khalsa militants from Patiala on May 18 identified the body as his.
The militants had threatened to kill the official unless all programs from Radio Stations in Punjab were broadcast in Punjabi and relaying of the national Hindi bulletin was discontinued from stations in the state.
An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with police near Jagarwala village on the outskirts of Amritsar while two others died in a separate encounter in Haner village in Hoshiarpur district.
Two more militants were killed in separate incidents in Ludhiana and two in Faridkot police said.
A police constable Sakatar Singh who was injured in an encounter with militants in Sultan wind locality of Amritsar on May 25 succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 5, 1992
