In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police today arrested chief of Khalistan Liberation Force, Harminder Singh alias Mintoo, and one of his aides and claimed that Pakistan's ISI was making "concerted efforts" to revive terrorism in the state.
"In last three years concerted efforts have been made by Pakistan's ISI to revive terrorism in Punjab," Punjab DGP S S Saini said.
Harminder and his aide Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi were deported from Thailand. Today they were brought from the country to New Delhi in coordination with Thai authorities and arrested at the Delhi Airport by the Punjab Police.
The KLF chief was wanted in ten terrorist offences and his key aide Gopi had been tasked to target Hindu outfit leaders in 2013, which were foiled by Punjab Police, for disturbing the hard-earned peace in the state.
The DGP said that the ISI is "making concerted efforts" to use terror outfits like KLF, BTFK and Babbar Khalsa to revive terrorism in Punjab, with focus on carrying out killings of prominent leaders belonging to a particular community.
"Punjab Police traced and located them in Thailand, in co-ordination with central agencies. Today, they were brought from Thailand to New Delhi in co-ordination with Thai authorities and arrested at the Delhi Airport by the Punjab Police," the DGP said addressing a news conference at state police headquarters here this evening.
These arrests came just a day after a top Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) terrorist Ramandeep Singh alias Goldy, wanted for 2010 Patiala and Ambala blasts and the murder of the head of a RSS-affiliated Sikh cultural outfit, was arrested by Punjab Police in Chennai after he was deported by Malaysian authorities.
Earlier, Rattandeep Singh, the chief of the Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK) was arrested from Gorakhpur, UP by police on September 17, 2014.
Harminder Singh alias Mintoo wanted to strengthen the KLF and develop independent contacts with the foreign-based supporters and fund raisers of terrorism, he said.
