From D. R. Ahuja

NEW DELHI, Sept 5 – Some new facts have come to light indicating that the arrest of the dreaded terrorist, Harinder Singh Jinda, resulted from a pre-planned operation prepared meticulously by the Delhi police with the active cooperation of Jinda’s accomplice, Satnam Singh Bawa.

The arrest of Jinda has been described as a feather in Delhi police’s cap. This is for the first time that the police had a “prize catch” with the cooperation of another terrorist who assisted in the arrest of Jinda.

It is also believed that another dreaded terrorist, Anokh Singh, was killed following some vital information given by Satnam Singh Bawa, who is likely to be made an approver in the Ludhiana bank dacoity case, the Lalru bus. massacre case, the killing of Amarjit Singh Vohra and a few other cases masterminded or committed by Jirda.

According to police sources, Satnam Singh became disgusted with Jinda and other members of the “Khalistan” commando force following the bank dacoity in which they looted Rs 5.70 crore. Satnam Singh was expecting a bigger share of the loot, but was given only Rs 5 lakh.

Satnam Singh was a laboratory technician in Punjab Agricultural University. He and its wife have two children In Ludhiana he got in touch with members of the “Khalistan” commando force under the leadership of “Gen” Labh Singh and participated in many crimes including the Ludhiana bank dacoity.

The Ludhiana bank dacoity, according to Satnam Singh, was masterminded by Labh Singh who wanted a huge amount to buy arms It is said there were Rs 20 crore in the bunk but they could grab only about Rs 6 crore After the crime, some differences cropped up between Labh Singh, Jinda, Charanjit Singh, Satnam Singh and Manjit Singh on sharing the loot.

Labh Singh took the maximum amount on the pretext of buying arms. Satnam Singh decided to say good-bye to his desperado life Subsequently, he resigned his job and shifted to Delhi along with his family in April. He rented a house in Noida While he was thinking starting life afresh, Jinda contacted him and came to Delhi to stay with him Meanwhile, the Delhi police got a tipoff on the shifting of Satnam Singh to Delhi and kept a watch on his movements. They also established a secret link with him. When Sacnam Singh told the police that Jinda often visited him, police sought his help for the arrest of Jigde sequently a plan was made. Satnam Singh informed the police that Jinda, who was bent on assassinating Union Home Minister Buta Singh, would visit Gurdwara Majnu-ka-Tila and Nanaksar as Mr Buta Singh often went there for his prayers. Satnam Singh said he would bring Jinda to Gurdwara Majnu-ki-Tila op, August 29 and the police could arrest both of them without making it obvious that he had connived with the

police.

Jinda, who was to meet Satnam Singh at the Inter-State Bus Terminus, however, did not turr up. When policemen contacted Satnam Singh, they were told that he would bring him the following day. On August 30, the two came on a scooter with Jinda seated on the pillion. As planned earlier, Satnam Singh stopped his scooter on the Mall Road crossing where a police party was waiting. Police commandos in mufti pounced on Jinda and arrested both of them. But before Jinda could take out his revolver, a smart police commando fired at Jinda and injured him in the leg so that he could not run.

It is said the police had been able to win over Satnam Singh after persistent efforts and great persuasion. He then promised to help the police in the arrest of Jinda

Satnam Singh is believed to have told the police during interrogation that Jind had plans to kill 10: VIPs.in Delhi, Including Mr Buta Singh, Mr Bpajan Lal, Mr HKL Bhagat, Mr Jagdish Tytler, Jathedar Rachhpal Singh, Mr Justice Mahesh Chandra, Mr Anand Sharma, President of the Indian Youth Congress (I), Lieut-Gen JS. Au- rora, MP, Mr Sajjan Kumar, an exmp, and Dr. Ashok

During his stay in Delhi, Jinda nad surveyed the houses of at least five VIPs, including that of Mr Buta Singh, who was his target number one As Mr Buta Singh is always protected by security commandos, Jinda thought that Gurdwara Nanaksar would be the ideal place to kill him where he went alone inside the gurdwara without any security.

According to the police, Satnam Singh lost Rs 60,000 when a call- girl removed his briefcase from a room in a guest house. Satnam Singh is believed to have deposited about Rs 3 lakh in fixed deposit in a bank in Ludhiana.

Satnam Singh told ‘the police that Jinda was always on the move to Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan to mastermind killings and dacoities. Jinda was a criminal and smuggler. The police is also understood to have intercepted a truck full of arms at the instance of Satnam Singh. The truck was on its way to Delhi.

PTI adds: Three persons, accused of harboring Jinda and his accomplices have been arrested by the Delhi police.

Highly placed police sources said the three were arrested from the Patel Nagar area in Central Delhi yesterday.

The arrested persons, identified by the sources as Karain Singh Dhillon; Baldev Singh and Ujagar Singh, have also been charged with keeping money looted by the terrorists from the Punjab National Bank at Ludhiana.

A sum of Rs 1 58 lakh was recovered from their possession, the sources said.

The three were remanded in police custody for five days by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi today.

Earlier, pleading for a 10-day police remand, Mr S.D. Sharma, Special Public Prosecutor, told the court that-the three had links with other terrorists in Punjab.

41 Palestinians killed in Israeli raids

BEIRUT, Sept 5 (DPA) – Israeli jets blasted Palestinian targets near the South Lebanese port of Sidon this morning, killing 41 per- sons and wounding 45, a Palestinian statement said.

Beirut Radio reports said two waves of jets rocketed bases of the mainstream Fatah movement in and around a refugee camp and return 15 minutes later to strike at a guerrilla position to the south of Sidon.

Huge clouds of smoke were visible over the area as Lebanese Red Cross ambulances and civil de- fence workers sought to evacuate the wounded and put off fires, witnesses said.

Policemen allege

victimisation

 

 From Our Correspondent

PHAGWARA, Sept 5 – The Non-Gazetted Policemen’s Union, Punjab, bas demanded an end to victimisation to lower category policemen by their seniors under the garb of screening policemen.

A union statement here today alleged that hundreds of policemen had been suspended and that the suspensions were the result of vindictiveness on the part of senior officials.