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Incidents and Statements involving Babbar Khalsa International: 1985-2012

2012

  • December 11: The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, R.P.N. Singh said LeT, IM, BKI and KTF are interested in carrying out terrorist attacks in India but there are no inputs about the Taliban.

  • November 27: Replying to a question, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs R. P. N Singh told Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) that various terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Indian Mujahideen (IM) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) are engaged in terrorist activities in the country. "As per available information, militants/terrorists active in India are often supported by their parent outfits based abroad, particularly in Pakistan," he said. Singh said other terrorist outfits which are active in India include Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), Al-Umma, Al Badr, Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islami (HuJI), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).

  • October 8: Sources in Jalandhar Police claimed that during interrogation, Jaswant Singh Azad disclosed names of nearly a dozen other British nationals, who are directly or indirectly involved in militant activities.

  • NIA has booked the U.K. based Dalbir Bains and Joga Singh of BKI under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for sending funds to Punjab.

  • October 6: An extensive fundraising campaign is being undertaken by secessionist Sikh groups in Europe and North America at the instance of Pakistan's ISI to revive terrorism in Punjab. Sources in security agencies have informed about movement of banned BKI, KCF, ISYF terror groups in western countries with the aim to radicalise Sikh youth by showing them doctored footage of Operation Blue Star and other propaganda materials.

  • NIA sources confirmed that BKI still has a large network of sleeper cells across Punjab.

  • October 4: BKI led by Wadhawa Singh is raising funds worldwide through several organisations, including self- professed NGOs, to revive sleeper cells In India.

  • September 30: Operation Blue Star commander, Lt. General (Retired) K.S. Brar, was attacked by four unidentified assailants with knife in London. The attackers are yet to be identified. Indian intelligence suspects the BKI behind the attack.

  • Punjab Police arrested a terrorist linked with several pro-Khalistan militant groups. British national Jaswant Singh Ajad, actively working for banned terrorist organisations BKI KZF and Khalistan Tiger Force was arrested from Focal Point area of Jalandhar city in Jalandhar District.

  • September 26: NIA has also booked militants of the banned BKI. The agency will collate information regarding the absconding members of IM and BKI. According to the UMHA, there are more than 52 militants of the IM and 15 militants of the BKI who have been identified by the Police and are presently on the run.

  • September 24: The FIR registered against Panch Pardhani leader and former terrorist Daljit Singh Bittu names three others believed to be in Pakistan those booked by Police are Wadhawa Singh, 'chief' of the BKI, Ranjit Singh Neeta of the KZF and Jagtar Singh Tara of the Khalistan Tigers Force.

  • September 10: UMHA Sushil Kumar Shinde said that NIA is probing a terror funding racket of banned Sikh separatist outfit BKI being allegedly run from the UK to commit terrorist acts in India. He said the intelligence agencies have found fresh evidences where BKI leaders in Pakistan and the UK were laundering money through various channels in their bid to carry out terror acts.

  • September 6: IB Chief Nehchal Sandhu said terror groups focusing on Punjab and neighbouring states posed a challenge. IB sources said it had inputs that Pakistan-based BKI 'chief' Wadhawa Singh Babbar's group was making efforts to destabilise Punjab.

  • September 4: Minister of State for Home Affairs, Jitendra Singh told Lok Sabha that Pakistani intelligence agency ISI has been providing patronage and assistance to various Sikh terrorist groups, including BKI, to revive militancy in Punjab.

  • September 3: According to Police sources, Zabiuddin Ansari alias Further BKI militant, Kulwant Singh alias Guddu who was arrested on September 1, planned a major extremist operation in Punjab during the forthcoming festival season. He was liaising with senior BKI militants abroad to revive the outfit. Sources said he planned to murder someone but Police did not divulge further details.

  • September 2: The Mohali Police arrested a BKI terrorist, Kulwant Singh, alias Guddu, from Sahora village, near Kharar in Mohali District.

  • According to NIA more than two dozen websites and 50 groups on social networking sites are trying to revive movement for an independent Sikh state and scouting for talents. Some of these popular sites are www.neverforget84.com and www.prisonerwelfare.com. Terror outfit BKI is learnt to have active support coming from ISI. According to the investigators, there are other NGOs based in Canada, UK and Germany who have donated money to BKI's cause for revival of Khalistan movement.

  • August 30: A Delhi Court convicted five persons for their involvement in the May 22, 2005, twin blasts at Satyam and Liberty cinema halls in New Delhi. BKI terrorist Jagtar Singh Hawara and four others were sentenced to seven years of imprisonment that would be adjusted against an equal length of period they have already spent in jail during the trial.

  • August 27: A trial court has reserved the pronouncement of its judgment in the 2005 twin blasts at Satyam and Liberty cinema halls in New Delhi for August 30. The Special Cell of the Delhi Police had charge sheeted Jagtar Singh Hawara, the BKI chief in India, and seven others in the case.

  • July 2: A Delhi court granted bail to two suspected terrorists of banned outfit BKI, identified as Sarabpreet and Narendra Singh alias Raju.

  • May 9: Union Minister of State for Home Jitendra informed Rajya Sabha that Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI was trying to revive BKI, a banned terror outfit in order to resurrect terrorism in Punjab.

  • April 3: Baljinder Singh, an under trial prisoner of BKI lodged in Tihar Jail managed to escape while he was on his way for a court hearing in Bhatinda in Punjab has 47 criminal cases, including of murder and robbery pending against him. Most of the criminal cases registered against him are in Punjab and the rest in Haryana and Delhi.

  • March 28: Union Government stayed hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a BKI terrorist facing death sentence for the assassination of then Punjab CM Beant Singh on August 31, 1995. The hanging, scheduled to be carried out on March 31, has been stayed following a petition filed by SGPC, the Sikh religious body.

  • March 23: Narender Singh, a BKI militant who was arrested from IGI airport at New Delhi on March 19, wanted to target religious figures like Baba Ram Rahim and Baba Ashutosh. The Delhi police officials also said that the said militant had got the training in Pakistan.

  • March 19: A BKI militant was arrested from the Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi. Sources said that the arrested militant, Narender Singh alias Raju, was on his way to Germany to meet BKI 'chief' Harvinder Singh to organise terror activities in India.

  • March 16: In the ongoing trial of Beant Singh assassination case, BKI terrorists Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjit Singh Bheora were produced in a local court in Chandigarh.

  • March 13: March 31, 2012 has been fixed for the hanging of BKI militant, Balwant Singh Rajoana, who is a convict in the assassination of former Chief Minister of Punjab Beant Singh on August 31, 1995. Rajoana will be hanged inside the Patiala Central Jail.

  • February 23: Four militants of Sikh separatist group BKI, arrested for planning to target religious figures, were sentenced to imprisonment already undergone by a sessions' court in Delhi after they pleaded guilty for being member of the banned outfit.

  • January 19: One group of BKI may have sneaked into the country from across the border to target political and religious leaders in the poll bound state of Punjab as per top intelligence sources. The prime targets in the hit list of these terrorists are said to be Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and religious Dera leaders like Ashutosh.

  • January 5: A local court acquitted five persons, including four former activists of Babbar Khalsa, in a case related to unlawful activities, illegal possession of explosives and fire arms. The acquitted Babbar Khalsa activists were identified as Baljit Singh Bhau, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi, Buta Singh, Balwinder Singh Dekwala. Daljit Singh Bittu, president of Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani), was also acquitted. However, the court found one person, Harminder Singh Cherrian, guilty and sentenced him to three years imprisonment and also imposed a fine of INR 5000 on him.

  • A case was registered on November 15, 2009, against seven persons under Unlawful Activities Act, Arms Act, Explosives Act and various sections of the IPC and they were arrested. Apart from the four Babbar Khalsa activists, Daljit and Harminder, Khalistan Liberation Force terrorist Daya Singh Lahoria had also been arrested in the connection. However, Lahoria was acquitted by a court few months back.

  • January 2: The arrest of two operatives of the BKI on December 22 has confirmed what Delhi Police have been suspecting for a while now -- that the Punjab-based terror outfit is on the lookout for a major strike to announce its revival. "Delhi Police arrested two Babbar Khalsa operatives who were planning to assassinate some political and religious leaders. We are investigating to confirm how many people are working with the group," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ashok Chand said. The Police claimed that these operatives were planning strikes in Delhi and Punjab by reviving the BKI modules. Chand said: "After the end of militancy in Punjab, the remaining BKI operatives went underground. But with the recovery of the RDX from Ambala [Haryana] and the arrest of these two operatives it is clear that the BKI is trying to revive itself."

  • Sarabpreet and Jaswinder Singh, in their early 30s, were arrested in a joint operation by Delhi Police's Special Cell and Crime Branch on December 22. While one was arrested in Delhi, the second was arrested from Ropar District in Punjab.

2011

  • December 26: The security of VVIPs in Punjab is being reviewed in the wake of the revelations made by BKI militants arrested by Delhi Police on December 22.

  • Delhi Police, meanwhile, claimed that that the module had been tasked by BKI chief Wadhawa Singh and an operative Kulbir Singh to assassinate three religious leaders in Punjab and Haryana and some political leaders in Punjab during the upcoming Assembly elections. According to the Police, the BKI is on an overdrive to recruit cadre.

  • December 22: Two suspected BKI militants were arrested by Delhi Police. The arrests were made based on leads that they planned to assassinate some religious and political leaders.

  • October 17: Recent intelligence reports cautioned the Punjab Government about renewed efforts by the Pakistani spy agency ISI and Pakistan-based militant outfits, including BKI, to send consignment of arms, explosives, fake currency and drugs for spreading terror-incidents and drug menace in the state and disrupting its economy.

  • October 14: The name of Jagtar Singh Tara, the dreaded member of the Khalistani militant outfit BKI has figured in the Ambala RDX haul on October 12.

  • September 16: BKI and ISYF were slapped sanctions under the Executive Order 13224 terrorist groups in June 2002 by the US.

  • March 13: Khalistani militant Jagtar Singh Tara, who was involved in the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, is reportedly planning to launch his own outfit, Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) breaking away from the parent outfit BKI.

  • January 29: Former Deputy Speaker of Punjab, Bir Devinder Singh, reportedly received a threatening email from militant outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

2010

  • November 4: The Punjab Police recovered a bomb, two detonators, a .30 bore Chinese pistol and six live cartridges following interrogation of the recently arrested militants. Addressing a press conference, Fatehgarh Sahib Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) R S Khatra informed that after the interrogation of militant Jasmail Singh alias Sahib Singh, resident of Rupalheri village of the District, the Police recovered a bomb and two detonators from a hideout near Satluj Yamuna Link canal near Mehdoda village. He added that after the interrogation of another militant Rashpal Singh, a resident of Bhagora village in Nawashahar District, the Police recovered .30 bore China made pistol and six live cartridges. In his interrogation Jasmail Singh told the Police that he was also involved in killing of Tarna Dal chief Baba Ajit Singh Poohla in jail as he had provided kerosene oil in jail which was used in killing of Poohla, the SSP claimed. He said the militants wanted to kill Baba Mann Singh Pehowale. They had collected money and received a bomb and two detonators from Babbar Khalsa militant Ramandeep Singh Goldy, a resident of Bassi Pathana for this purpose. The militants had also planned to kill Additional Director General of Police (Vigilance Chief) Sumedh Singh Saini and even chased him at his farm house in Kansal. The SSP also claimed that the arrested militants had received money from Babbar Khalsa to revive terrorism in Punjab.The three militants, identified as Jasmail Singh alias Sahib Singh, Kulvinder Singh alias Kala and Arshpal Singh alias Rashpal Singh were arrested by a Police party near Buga Kanchian in the night of October 31 when they were travelling in a car.

  • October 23: The Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh (UP) arrested a BKI terrorist, identified as Makkhan Singh, from Barhni area of Sidharthnagar District on the Indo-Nepal border. ATS personnel also recovered one mobile phone along with Indian and foreign currencies from the accused. Makkhan was arrested when he was going to Punjab to acquire a fresh passport to leave India.The arrestee, a resident of Garhshanker in Hoshiarpur District of Punjab, was involved in several cases of terrorist acts in Punjab. UP Additional Director General of Police (ATS) Brij Lal said on October 24 that Makkhan is a close associate of BKI chief Badhawa Singh, who is hiding in Pakistan at present. Makkhan had stayed in several foreign countries since 1987 and after returning to India in 1997, he joined the banned outfit. He also received terrorist training in Pakistan and stayed there for more than nine years. Makkhan sneaked into India from Gurudaspur (Punjab) border in November 2009 and assisted other people in terrorist acts. Makkhan is the second BKI terrorist arrested in UP after Gurjant Singh who was arrested in September, also from the Indo-Nepal border.

  • October 18: An alleged BKI operative Karanbir Singh escaped from Police custody under the pretext of going to the toilet. The incident occurred in Hoshiarpur District, when Police personnel and officers were interrogating Karanbir, who was booked for the murder of the head of a religious sect in June 2010. He escaped through a window. A reward of INR 5 lakh has been announced.Karanbir was arrested on October 17. An AK-47, an AK-56 assault rifle, two hand grenades, 5.4 kilograms of RDX, six magazines, 276 rounds of ammunition, two detonators, a timer device and a remote control were recovered from him.

  • October 10: A cadre of the KZF, who is also associated with the BKI, was arrested by Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh Police from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The arrestee, identified as Gurjant Singh, was a native of Kurukshetra District in Haryana. An Italian pistol and some documents were seized from him. Gurjant reportedly acted as a link between KZF and BKI.

  • August 25: The IB warned that "inimical agencies" operating from "international bases" were trying to revive militancy in Punjab by forging an alliance between Khalistani outfits and the LeT. Calling attempts to revive Sikh militancy a worrisome trend, IB Chief Rajiv Mathur said, "There have been clear attempts by inimical agencies abroad to reactivate Sikh terrorist elements, forge nexus between LeT and terrorist groups like BKI and KZF and mobilise their resources for planning terrorist violence in Punjab and elsewhere in the country." Mathur, though, did not name any country or identified any agency, officials tracking the development later said interrogation of those arrested recently in Jalandhar and Amritsar in Punjab clearly hinted at their association with Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

  • July 28 The Punjab Police arrested five Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militants with two AK-47 rifles and a huge quantity of ammunition and explosives, reports Indian Express. Pal Singh of Dhandowal village in Jalandhar, Kulwant Singh of Varpal village, Gurmukh Singh alias Gana of Pandori Mehma, Jagtar Singh of Thoba village in Amritsar and Darshan Singh Dhadi of Dhaliwal in Jalandhar were arrested with two AK-47 rifles, five magazines and 420 live rounds, including 200 armoured piercing cartridges, Superintendent of Police (SP) P. Mandeep Singh said, adding that a case under various sections of Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention)Act has been registered against them.

    Addressing media persons at a press conference, SP Mandeep Singh said, "We nabbed Gurmukh and Kulwant from the Amritsar bypass and seized two AK-47 assault rifles and 420 cartridges from their possession. About 200 of the cartridges could penetrate bullet-proof vehicles", adds Hindustan Times. "Further investigation revealed that Kulwant, who is known to Narain Singh, alias Chaura, and Pal Singh, had received a consignment of RDX and weapons from Jagtar, which was later handed over to Narain. Subsequently, a part of the consignment was given to Pal Singh," the SP said.

  • July 22: The West Midlands Police in United Kingdom (UK) arrested four Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militants, including the top leader Paramjit Singh Pamma, for their involvement in the killing of Rulda Singh, the Punjab-based chief of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh's (RSS) Sikh arm Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, according to Times of India. Pamma had fled to Europe from Punjab. The three other arrestees were identified as Gursharan Bir Singh, Piara Singh Gill and Amritbir Singh. Sources in Punjab Police said they were arrested in England on the basis of inputs provided by India where intelligence agencies tracked certain leads suggesting the BKI''s move to broaden its base in Punjab using its sympathisers in the State. As the killing of Rulda Singh involved Sikh extremism, the case is being investigated by the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) of the West Midland Police in UK.

    Rulda Singh was shot near his residence in Patiala in July 2009 and Punjab Police had managed to arrest two accused Darshan Singh and Jagmohan Singh in September 2009. The interrogation of both the accused revealed the UK connection in the murder and that the assassination was planned by BKI's Pamma based in UK. The accused disclosed that acting at the behest of Jagtar Singh Tara and others of the BKI, Pamma planned the murder of Rulda. Tara had been arrested for his involvement in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minster Beant Singh but he managed to escape after digging a 94-long tunnel inside Burail prison in Chandigarh in 2003.

  • July 18: Punjab Police said that it had arrested four militants of the BKI and recovered weapons and explosives from them. The four include BKI commander Harmohinder Singh, who was the mastermind in the 2007 Ludhiana cinema blast. The other three were his accomplices and they were staying in a rented accommodation here for the past few weeks. Police have recovered 3.1 kilogram of RDX, an AK-47 and a revolver from them. "Following a tip-off from the family members of Harmohinder, we laid a trap and arrested him and his three accomplices from here Friday night. Harmohinder was one of the most wanted terrorist and he was planning some more terror activities in this region," Khanna's Deputy Superintendent of Police Manjit Singh Brar told IANS. According to Police sources, Harmohinder had fled to Pakistan after the 2007 blast and only returned a few months ago. His wife and other family members stay in Ludhiana.

  • June 22: The State Special Operation Cell of Intelligence Wing of the Punjab Police with the interrogation of arrested BKI militant Nishan Singh recovered one AK-47 assault rifle, 110 cartridges, one revolver 32 bore and three automatic Chinese pistols, reports Punjab News line. However, Following Singh’s arrest, an Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) team had visited his village, Daleke, in Taran Taaran District of Punjab. The team recovered a huge cache of imported arms hidden in the farms by Singh. The weapons were sent from Pakistan. An ATS official said, "Investigations revealed that Singh’s family owns 13 acres of agricultural land and a house in Daleke. On digging the farms, we recovered an AK-47 rifle with 110 live rounds, one .32 Chinese made pistol, one 9mm Belgium made pistol with eight rounds, one .32 French made pistol and one .32 Kanpur ordnance factory made pistol with 10 live rounds were seized." The official added that Daleke is about 30 kilometres away from India-Pakistan border and the weapons were sent from Pakistan. "Singh has also said that in past 18 months, he had made dealings of 150 kilograms of heroine through his drug syndicate. We are investigating whether he had any drug network in Mumbai," the official said.

  • June 19: The Maharashtra State Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested a key BKI militant, who had been on the run after firing at Narcotic Control Bureau officials in Punjab in 2009. Nishant Singh Karam Singh (27), who is also allegedly involved in drug smuggling, was arrested from Chembur after he arrived in the Mumbai from Nanded with five of his associates. The Police have seized a 12 bore rifle with 24 rounds of cartridges, two Point 32 pistols and a Toyaota Innova from him. Singh has been remanded in Police custody till June 28. Singh, who was a sepoy in the army, had served in Kargil, Siachen and Jammu and Kashmir. He has not reported to duty for the past 4 years. "We have sent pictures and other details to the Punjab Police who are supposed to send a team to the city by late evening,’’ said ATS chief Rakesh Maria. Acting on a tip-off, the Nanded ATS unit, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police P. Sawant arrested Singh at Diamond Garden. When asked what was Singh doing in Mumbai, Maria said, "We have to interrogate him before making any comment.

  • June 18: The Punjab Police arrested a BKI militant from Bhagowal village near Batala area in Gurdaspur District. He was identified as Jagtar Singh, a resident of Bhagowal village under Qilla Lal Singh Police Station. Jagtar Singh was sent to Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) Amritsar for investigations, Batala Police sources said.

  • June 15: A suspected militant of the BKI, identified as Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha, has been arrested and 1.4 kilograms RDX, besides arms and ammunition, recovered in Amritsar District, Police said. ''After a secret tip-off, we arrested Sukhdev late Tuesday night from the border of Khalkian and Rattangarh villages. He was wanted in many pending criminal cases,'' Senior Superintendent of Police (Special Operation Cell) Malwinder Singh said. ''We have recovered 1.4 kilogram RDX, two pistols, one automatic machine gun and over 130 live cartridges from his possession. Our interrogation is on and we are trying to unearth other details from him,'' he added. Meanwhile, five persons have been arrested from a village in Amritsar and six kilograms of RDX as well 20 detonators, time-devices and heroin recovered from them, Police said on June 10, reports IANS. The special operation cell of the intelligence wing of Punjab Police raided a village in border District follow a tip-off, said a senior official. "We have arrested five accused and recovered six kilograms of RDX, 20 detonators, 10 time-devices, 10 metres of fuse wire and two kilograms heroin from their possession," the official told IANS on condition of anonymity. "Right now we are not in a position to tell from where they had procured these explosives and drugs. Their interrogation is on and very soon we will unearth the truth. We will look into all aspects and also try to ascertain whether they have any foreign links," he added.

  • June 14: Five suspected militants of the BKI have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days by the Dera Bassi court. Earlier, these militants were in Police custody. According to information, militants sent to judicial remand include Balbeer Singh, alias Bhootna, Nirmal Singh, alias Nimma, Avtar Singh, Daljit and Deepak. The accused had reportedly been involved in terrorist activities and arms and ammunition were also seized from their possession.

  • June 12: The Police arrested two suspected BKI militants and recovered a pistol and 10 live cartridges from their possession. Police said Balwinder Singh alias Binda and Manjinder Singh alias Manna, residents of Bijliwal village, were arrested from a fuel pump at Khanowal village under Kila Lal Singh Police Station in Gurdaspur District when they had gone there to get petrol for their motorcycle. They said Police was on look out for the duo and they were arrested following disclosures made by another BKI militant Harwant Singh alias PC, who was arrested by Patiala Police three months earlier. The two arrested suspects had hidden arms and ammunition in a water cooler they were carrying, Police said.

  • May 8: A car with two kilograms of explosives was found abandoned near a busy Railway Station in Amritsar, Police said. The vehicle reportedly carried a fake Delhi registration number. "The car (DEA 5554) was found near the crowded station," Amritsar Police Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma told IANS. "One detonator and two packets of explosives, weighing nearly two kg, were recovered from the vehicle. The packets have been sent to the laboratory to ascertain their exact content and the nature of the explosives. An extensive search operation has been launched in the area," he added. Although, so far, no particular terrorist outfit has taken the responsibility, Police believe this incident was part of the attempt of BKI and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) elements to revive terrorism in Punjab.

  • April 17: A suspected Babbar Khalsa International BKI militant, identified as Avtar Singh, was arrested by Zirakpur Police from Materi village in Ambala on April 17. He was produced in the Derabassi court on April 18 from where he was sent in Police remand till April 22. Station House Officer Yogi Raj stated that they raided the accused’s hideout on a tip-off and arrested him from Materi village bus stand. He is said to be brother of another BKI cadre Purshotam Singh, who is living in France. According to Police sources, Purshotam was regularly sending money to BKI cadres in India to sustain their criminal activities.

  • March 30: A special court sentenced BKI militant Paramjit Singh Bheora to life imprisonment, after convicting him of involvement in the 1995 assassination of the then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. A fine of INR 65000 was also slapped on Bheora, who was on March 29 convicted of criminal conspiracy for his involvement in the assassination of Beant Singh by a suicide bomber, Dilawar Singh,August 31, 1995, at the high-security Punjab Civil Secretariat complex in Chandigarh. Jagtar Singh Hawara, an accomplice of Bheora, was earlier sentenced to death in 2007 in the same case.

  • March 29: A BKI militant, identified as Piara Singh, a resident of Gattikatar village in Ferozepur, was arrested with 3.5 kilograms of RDX, which he had reportedly smuggled from Pakistan for supplying to BKImilitants in Punjab, Mohali SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said at a press conference. With the arrest of the explosives supplier to BKI, the Mohali District Police claimed to have foiled another bid of the Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed BKI to revive militancy in Punjab, Delhi and across country. The SSP added that Piara Singh was a known smuggler of heroin and other contrabands and had walked out of jail a fortnight ago after serving a term in a drug smuggling case.  During his stay in jail, he allegedly came in contact with some BKI militants, who asked him to smuggle and supply explosives after his release from jail, Bhullar claimed, while adding that Piara was arrested from the clues extracted during interrogation of suspected BKI militants, Gurpreet Singh and Balveer Singh Bhootna, who were taken into custody from Nabha jail last week on production warrants.

    The Police are, however, still to identify one of Piara’s accomplices, in connivance with whom, he had hidden the RDX underground near Mamdot area in Ferozepur.  A First Information Report against Piara was lodged under various Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Explosives Act, 1884, and Arms Act, 1959, at the Zirakpur Police Station on March 19.  Till now, a total of six suspected BKI militants have been arrested in the case and INR 100000 alleged hawala (informal money laundering system) money, a sophisticated revolver, three live cartridges and five hand grenades recovered.

  • March 25: Three BKI militants were arrested at Rajpura of Patiala District. They were identified as Waryam Singh alias Jasbir Singh alias Giani of Mohali District,Kulwant Singh of Mann Kheri District and Bhupinder Singh of Ropar District. Senior Superintendent of Police R. S. Khatra said that they confessed that they were in constant touch with Italy-based BKI militant Jasvir Singh Jassi, who gave them the weapons to eliminate Baba Bhaniarwala to create unrest in the State. They were paid heavily by Jassi and were asked to step up militant activity in the State, Khatra said. Waryam Singh, who was lodged in Ambala Jail for his anti-social activities, had jumped parole and was declared a proclaimed offender, he said. The trio had made unsuccessful attempts twice to kill the Baba, Khatra said.

  • March 21: Two militants of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), arrested by Mohali Police, were produced in the court on March 21 and remanded to two-day Police custody

2009

  • September 13: Rajasthan Police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) seized a consignment of explosives and firearms from a village in the Barmer District. With the latest seizure, the Police have foiled attempts by the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) to execute attacks in the country, said official sources. Intelligence agencies and the SOG in Rajasthan have come across facts which indicate that the Pakistani ISI was using the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan to push in lethal material into India. Two carriers, Fotia and Alia, belonging to Pakistan, were entrusted with the task of pushing the consignment.

  • August 27: Four persons, including a Police constable, were arrested for allegedly providing shelter to a convict in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. They were arrested for harbouring Jagtar Singh Hawara of the banned Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). Hawara, the mastermind in the 1995 assassination, had jumped jail a few years back and the four had allegedly given him shelter. Amritsar Police arrested Constable Pavitar Singh, posted in Patiala District, Bhupinder Singh, his wife Amarjit Kaur and Jaspal Singh from Beas town, 40 kilometres from Amritsar. A sophisticated revolver was recovered from them. They were allegedly having close links with the BKI, Police said. Hawara was rearrested and is now lodged in the Burail jail in Amritsar.

  • May 26: Another outlawed militant outfit, the BKI, which also figures on the U.S. list of terrorist organisations, has condemned the killing of Sant Rama Nand in Vienna. Akash Radio claimed that the BKI chief Wadhawa Singh Babbar said in an e-mail that the entire Sikh Panth regretted the attack on Sant Niranjan Das and Sant Rama Nand. The e-mail said: "Everyone knows that this attack was not done by the Sikh Panth. Indian agencies are behind this attack; and they are trying to split the Ravidasiya community from the Sikh Panth. The Khalsa Panth will continue to cherish this relationship formed since the times of Guru Nanak Devji… The Khalsa Panth requests the Ravidasiya community to maintain peace. The Khalsa Panth will always stand by the Ravidasiya community and will not let the Indian agencies succeed in their mal-intensions."

  • April 20: Intelligence agencies are reported to have recently ascertained that a joint meeting between militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) chief Wadhawa Singh was held in Rawalpindi in Pakistan during February 2009, where they planned terrorist attacks in Punjab during the Parliamentary elections scheduled to be held in the fourth and fifth phases on May 7 and May 13. Sources in the agencies said the Pakistan-based terrorist outfits had planned to take help of local BKI cadres for logistical support. A similar meeting had also taken place in December 2008 when Pakistan-based terrorist outfits had planned to infiltrate their cadres through the fenced western border in Punjab and Rajasthan, sources added. Meanwhile, the MHA has alerted the State to take adequate measures in coordination with central intelligence and security agencies to foil any such attempts. Agencies believed that Wadhawa Singh continues to be a vital link between terrorists in other countries and some radical elements in the Sikh community in Punjab. Wadhawa Singh, hiding in Pakistan, is one of the 40 most-wanted terrorists India has sought to be deported from Pakistan.

2008

  • October 23: Two BKI cadres, Paramjit Singh and Kamaljit Singh, were convicted and sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment by a special court in Chandigarh in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh case. The duo, described as human bombs in Police chargesheet, had reportedly planned to revive terrorism and had been trained by BKI head, Jagtar Singh Hawara.

  • March 21: In a follow-up to the December 31, 2007-arrest of four BKI militants, the Delhi Police on March 20 claimed to have arrested two others of the same group from Jalandhar in Punjab. Deputy Commissioner (Special Cell) Alok Kumar said Jaswant Singh alias Kala (31) and Surender Singh alias Fauji (22) were arrested on March 19 near Sutlej bridge in Jalandhar. One .30 Star make pistol and one .22 Star make pistol with 11 live cartridges were recovered from them. While Kala hails from Muktsar, Fauji is a native of Jalandhar in Punjab, he said.

  • February 4: The BKI militants arrested in connection with the blast at a cinema hall in Ludhiana on October 14, 2007, have told the investigators that they had approached Naga outfits for supply of arms and ammunition. During their interrogation, the militants told the central security agencies that few Sikh youths had been tasked to kill political leaders including Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir, president of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front M. S. Bitta and former Punjab Director General of Police K. P. S Gill, official sources said. The militants also told the investigators that they had tried to contact NSCN insurgents for procuring of weapons, the sources said without elaborating whether the Punjab militants were able to strike a deal with NSCN militants or not.

  • January 16: Police in Ludhiana arrested Mohammed Ali a.k.a. Alia for allegedly supplying RDX to the proscribed BKI militants in order to create disruption in Punjab.

  • January 10: Intelligence inputs on the movement of BKI militants have indicated that fugitive Jagtar Singh Tara who had escaped from the high-security Burail Jail in Punjab in 2004 and managed to cross over to Pakistan has moved up the ladder in the hierarchy of the outfit and is now supervising operations from there.

  • January 4: The Delhi Police claimed to have foiled an attempt to kill Baba Pyara Singh Paniharewala, a Ropar-based religious leader, with the arrest of four BKI militants, Baljeet Singh, Bikkar Singh, Kulwinderjeet Singh and Tirlochan Singh. On the hit list of the terrorists were four other prominent personalities of Punjab, the police said. Four pistols and 124 live cartridges were allegedly seized from their possession.

2007

  • December 13, 2007: The Punjab Police foiled an attempt by BKI terrorists to assassinate the Sirsa-based Sacha Sauda (a sect) chief, Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh, and heads of two other sects. The Senior Superintendent of Police (Kapurthala), Rakesh Aggarwal, informed that three members of the BKI module, identified as Gurinder Singh, Zorawar Singh alias Zora and Parmider Singh alias Babloo, were arrested and two Improvised Explosive Devices assembled by using 9.75 kg high quality RDX recovered. The police also seized 300 grams of RDX, two detonators, two timers, 40 cartridges of different bores, four boxes of other explosive material, two kg of copper wire and two mobile phones along with several other articles. Aggarwal disclosed that 12 other BKI gang members, including its kingpin Gurpreet Singh, were still at large.

  • July 31, 2007: The Additional District and Sessions Judge in Chandigarh awarded death sentence to Jagtar Singh Hawara of the BKI and Balwant Singh, two of the six declared guilty in the Beant Singh assassination case. Three other convicts, Gurmeet, Lakhwinder and Shamsher Singh, were awarded life imprisonment for their involvement in the criminal conspiracy, while the sixth convict, Naseeb Singh, was given 10 years of imprisonment under the Explosives Act along with a fine of INR 10,000. However, since Naseeb, the oldest of the accused at 72, had already undergone more than the sentence awarded to him, he was freed soon after the sentencing.

  • June 11, 2007: Gurdip Singh Rana, a Babbar Khalsa militant was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after being convicted under the Arms Act at Kurukshetra in the Haryana State. Wanted by the Punjab Police, Rana, who was hiding in the Sujra village of Kurukshetra district, was arrested on October 17, 2005.

  • June 6, 2007: Punjab Police is reported to have traced the main conspirators of the May 22, 2005-bomb blasts in New Delhi, alleged to be members of the pro-Khalistan outfit, Babbar Khalsa International, in Germany. The police said it had moved an application before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Seema Maini in New Delhi for issuance of letters rogatory seeking information about the suspects from the German authorities, which was granted by the court. The letters rogatory (letter of request) seek information about Satnaam Singh, son-in-law of Babbar Khalsa chief Wadhwa Singh, his wife Sukhwinder Kaur and another woman identified as Kanwaljit Kaur.

  • May 3, 2007: Intelligence agencies reportedly said that the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, are trying to revive militancy in Punjab through sympathisers of Sikh militant groups like the BKI, the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and Khalistan Commando Force (KCF). Information has reportedly been sent to the Punjab Police about the plans to target towns of Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Pathankot region. Instructions have also been given to monitor the activities of sympathisers of BKI-Hawara, ISYF-Rode, KZF- Neeta and KCF, who are sending funds through hawala (illegal money transfers) to "re-launch their separatist movement."

2006

  • July 2, 2006: A BKI terrorist, Bachan Singh Sogi, accused of plotting to assassinate the former Punjab Chief Minister, Prakash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir and former State Punjab Police chief, K.P.S. Gill, is deported by Canada. Sogi was removed from the Riviere des Prairies detention centre in north-end Montreal after Canada's Public Security Minister Stockwell Day rejected his plea challenging a court order.

  • March 21, 2006: Four BKI terrorists were arrested from Chandigarh in Punjab and one kilogram of RDX, arms and ammunition were seized from their possession. Chandigarh Police arrested the four from the Bus Stand in Sector 12 of the city, Senior Superintendent of Police, Gaurav Yadav, told reporters. Yadav said the arrested disclosed during preliminary interrogation that they were part of the BKI module controlled by Jagtar Singh Tara. The four, identified as Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukhi alias Bullet, Dilbagh Singh, Ranjit Singh, all residents of Ropar district in Punjab and Balbir Singh alias Nepali, a resident of Solan district in Himachal Pradesh, were in contact with other BKI activists and were one of the several modules raised by the outfit for the revival of terrorism.

  • March 20, 2006: Paramjeet Singh Bheora, 'head of operations' of the Babbar Khalsa International in India, and two of his accomplices who were planning to set up base in Delhi were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police near G T Karnal road. Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police (Special Cell), Karnal Singh, said Paramjeet and his accomplices Jasbir Singh and Bhupinder Singh were arrested following an exchange of fire. The police official added, "four kilograms of RDX, three detonators, one remote control device along with a wireless set, one timer, three pistols, 39 live cartridges and three fired cartridges were recovered from them. The stolen Santro car in which they were traveling was also seized." Paramjeet was allegedly involved in the assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995 and had taken over control of Babbar Khalsa in India after its previous chief Jagtar Singh Hawara was arrested by the Delhi Police on June 8, 2005.

2005

  • November 19, 2005: The Punjab Police arrested three Pakistan-trained terrorists of the BKI in the Jagroan district and foiled their plan of a major strike in crowded localities in Chandigarh and Delhi. The police seized 1.2 kilogram of RDX, one pencil bomb, 28 detonators, a timer, 55 AK-47 cartridges, 56 Mauser cartridges and four .9 mm cartridges.

  • July 17, 2005: Police arrested three BKI terrorists near Madhopur Chowk in the Fatehgarh Sahab district of Punjab. One AK-47 rifle, 25 live cartridges and some explosives are recovered from them.

  • July 14, 2005: Two BKI terrorists are arrested by the Delhi Police from the Old Delhi railway station in connection with the May 22 blasts at two cinema halls. The terrorists are identified as Dilbagh Singh, a close relative of the Pakistan-based BKI chief Wadhawa Singh, and Surender Singh Kanda, a Kenya-based non-resident Indian, who reportedly worked as a visa agent.

  • June 16, 2005: The Punjab Police arrested two close associates of Jagtar Singh Hawara from the Ropar district. Swarn Singh and Paramjit Singh alias Bhola were arrested along with 10 kg of RDX, a detonating device switch, 10 PE3A gelatin sticks, two infusion sticks, nine ABCD timers, four highly sophisticated grenades, nine clap switches, one live bomb and two .25 mm Chinese made pistol.

  • June 8, 2005: Jagtar Singh Hawara, 'operations chief' of the BKI in India, was arrested along with two other accused in the May 22, bomb blasts from the G.T. Karnal Road in Narela Industrial Area of Delhi.

  • June 5, 2005: A joint team of the Delhi and Punjab Police arrested two BKI activists from Nawanshahar district in Punjab. Bahadur Singh and Gurdip Singh alias Kaka were arrested during raids on their houses at Malpur village and both were associates of Jaspal, an accused in the May 22 cinema hall blasts in Delhi. Two slabs of RDX weighing one kilogram, 11 detonators and cordex wires were recovered from the arrested activists.

  • June 1, 2005: A day after police arrested BKI activists, Balvinder Singh and Jaganath Yadav, in connection with the blasts at the Liberty and Satyam cinema halls on May 22, the Delhi Police (DP) seized illegal arms and ammunition from a hideout of a BKI terrorist, who is still at large. The DP conducted a raid at the hideout of Jaspal Singh at Inderpuri and recovered 1 kg of RDX, a timer, detonator, a.303 rifle, 20 rounds of ammunitions, a uniform of a Punjab Police head constable and several fake driving licenses.

  • May 31, 2005: Two BKI terrorists are arrested in connection with the May 22-bomb blasts at two cinema halls in the national capital New Delhi. While Balwinder Singh was arrested from a village at Nawanshahar in Punjab, the other accused, Jagannath, was arrested from Madipur in Delhi. Rupees 2.94 lakh in cash, a kilogram of RDX and two kilograms of gold was recovered from the latter's house.

  • May 22, 2005: Two explosions are triggered by crude devices at two cinema halls in the national capital Delhi, during the screening of the Hindi film, Jo Bole So Nihal, killed one person and injured at least 60 others. In the first incident at Liberty Cinema on the G. T. Karnal Road, the device reportedly exploded under a seat in the sixth row. The second bomb exploded at the toilet of Satyam Cinema in Patel Nagar.

  • January 3, 2005: A BKI terrorist who was involved in an assassination attempt on a senior police official in Punjab and wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for various crimes in the US is arrested by the Delhi Police. Prem Pal Singh had stayed in the US, UK, Germany and Thailand for over 16 years using fake passports, said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Deependra Pathak. He was reportedly arrested at a passport office in Delhi when he was approaching agents to procure a US visa on its forged passport. A resident of Bassi Pathana in Fatehgarh Sahib, Prem Pal worked as a Government employee before joining the BKI in 1985.

2004

  • September 21, 2004: The Punjab Police re-arrests BKI terrorist, Gursewak Singh alias Babla, from a hospital in the Raikot area of Ludhiana district. Babla had escaped from police custody in the national capital Delhi on August 22 while being taken to be produced before a court in connection with a 1998 case relating to sedition and violation of the Explosives Act.

  • September 8, 2004: Police stationed in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab seized one AK-47 assault rifle from Didar Singh alias Dari, a BKI terrorist, who was arrested in connection with the murder of Baba Jagtar Singh, head of the Dera Akal. According to district police chief Gurkirpal Singh, two magazines and 30 cartridges were recovered from Didar, who is allegedly involved in nine cases of heinous crimes.

  • April 30, 2004: The US includes the BKI in its Terrorist Exclusion List.

  • January 22, 2004: Four undertrials, including three accused in the Beant Singh assassination case, escape from the high security Burail jail in Chandigarh. Those escaped included BKI terrorist Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara and Paramjit Singh, the three main accused in the assassination.

2002

  • April 29, 2002: Police thwart a major conspiracy of the BKI to attack Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, VIPs and shakhas (branches) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with the arrest of five BKI terrorists in Gurdaspur, Punjab. A huge cache of arms and ammunition is seized, too.

2001

  • August 31, 2001: Punjab police arrest a BKI terrorist. He confesses of plans to revive terrorism in Punjab through setting-off explosions at public places. He also reveals to his interrogators that terrorist leaders based in Britain and Germany, as well as those sponsored by the ISI and residing in Pakistan, were involved in the planning.

  • August 18, 2001: Under the leadership of the BKI and other groups, pro-Khalistan activists and sympathiseers hold a protest demonstration in front of the Indian consulate in Frankfurt, and burn the Indian tricolour.

  • June 9, 2001: In a protest demonstration staged at the Indian Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, against Operation Blue Star, BKI leaders says no Khalistan terrorist should surrender. The rally had allegedly been extended support by Pakistan’s Consulate in Frankfurt.

  • May 22, 2001: Punjab Police foil an attempt by terrorists to disrupt Ram Navami (Hindu religious celebration) with the arrest of four terrorists and seizure of 3kg of RDX and some arms and ammunition from Harchowal village, Batala district. Manjit Singh, a close associate of BKI’s Mohal Singh had trained the terrorists, to target the Ram Navmi procession. During interrogation, the terrorists reportedly confessed to having crossed over to Pakistan a number of times to bring in arms and ammunitions and to step-up subversive activities in Punjab and Kashmir.

  • February 28, 2001: British government proscribes Babbar Khalsa, as per the provisions of the new UK Terrorism Act 2000, which became operational since July 2000.

2000
  • October, 27 2000: Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik, two BKI terrorists arrested by Canadian police for their involvement in the mid-air explosion of Air India flight-182 Kanishka, off the Irish coast.

  • October 14, 2000: The Central Bureau of Investigation and Delhi Police seize a huge quantity of arms, ammunition and 30 kg of RDX, in Libaspur locality in the national capital, Delhi. Official sources believe they were stored there to be passed-on later to a Babbar Khalsa terrorist in Punjab.

  • August 30, 2000: BKI terrorist arrested in Jalandhar district, Punjab, and a cache of 3.9 kg of PETN high explosives and timers is seized. Official sources say they had been tasked by Wadhwa Sigh to target VIPs in Punjab.

  • February 2000: Following the June-arrests in Delhi the Babbar network is traced to Ahmedabad and other areas in Gujarat, particularly the border districts.

  • Gujarat Police arrest a Canada-based Babbar terrorist, who disclosed the BKIs’ underworld connection. Nearly six more suspected Babbar terrorists are arrested subsequently and a BKI plot to abduct former Gujarat Chief Minister Chhabildas Mehta is unearthed and folied.

  • January 17, 2000: At a meeting in Sacramento, USA, leaders of the BKI discuss the declining interest in the idea of Khalistan among the Sikh community. The modalities for involving the younger Sikh generation, especially those employed in low-paid jobs in the US, is also discussed.

  • January 6, 2000: A Pakistan based BKI terrorist, who had consented to become a human bomb, is arrested in Jaipur, Rajasthan and 5 kg of RDX, arms and ammunition are recovered from him.

  • January 2000: Gujrat Police arrest five Babbar Khalsa International terrorists from the Narol locality in the State capital Ahmedabad, following a tip-off from Punjab Police and union intelligence agencies. The terrorists were in Gujarat to raise funds for the revival of Khalistan movement through abductions for ransom.

1999

  • February 26, 1999: Punjab Police arrest four terrorists of the BKI and recover 10 kg of RDX, 1.5 kg of PETN, half a kilogramme of heroin, an AK-56 rifle and a magazine

  • June 1999: Gujarat Police arrest three suspected Babbar Khalsa terrorists and a local contact and recover some arms and ammuntion.

  • In the same month a Babbar terrorist is arrested in Hoshiarpur in Punjab. He confesses to his interrogators that he and a Pakistani national entered India and had carried a consignment of five AK-47 rifles and some explosives.

  • June 11,1999: Police in Baroda, Gujarat, unearth an ISI module and arrest three BKI terrorist and a local Sikh. A Chinese Pistol, two country-made pistols and some ammunition are recovered.

  • June 1999: Delhi police arrest a suspected suicide bomber, Richhpal Singh, on a mission to kill former Punjab police chief KPS Gill.

  • July 1999: Delhi police arrest two Babbar Khalsa terrorists with about two-kg of RDX.

  • June 23, 1999: Amritsar police arrested two smugglers––close associates of Wadhwa Sigh and Mehal Singh. Four kg of explosives is recovered from their possession.

1995

  • August 31, 1995: Human bomb Dilawar Singh assassinates Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh at the civil secretariat in Chandigarh. He allegedly owed allegiance to the BKI.

1992

  • Talwinder Singh Parmar, the alleged mastermind of the mid-air explosion of Air India flight-182 Kanishka, off the Irish coast, killed in Punjab.

1985

  • June 23, 1985: BKI accused of masterminding the mid-air explosion of Air India flight-182 Kanishka off the coast of Ireland. A total of 329 persons are killed in the incident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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