Severed ties with him over love marriage, but he’s innocent: father of British soldier linked to KZF module

UK’s Ministry of Defence has denied Punjab Police’s findings about the involvement Jagjeet Singh in terrorist activities in India, saying no one by that name was serving in the British Army. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, however, backed the probe by his force. Yadav had earlier said that “serving British soldier” Jagjeet Singh, who used the pseudonym Fateh Singh Baaghi, handled the terror module of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KJF), a banned terrorist organisation whose chief Ranjeet Singh Neeta had claimed responsibility for the attacks. Yadav had named Jagjeet after the killing of three suspected KZF members in an encounter by a joint team of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh police in Pilibhit on Monday.

“There is no truth in the allegations. If one works in Army, one has no time to think about anything other than the job at hand,” Joginder Singh told the Indian Express.

Joginder, whose other son is serving in the Indian Army, said Jagjeet first went to UK in 2010 “and joined the Army there in 2011”.

“His first posting was in Afghanistan. He was also sent to Iraq and Kenya. I don’t know about his rank,” Joginder said, adding “we were also invited by the UK government for an honour in 2012”.

“I have not been on talking terms with Jagjeet. I had snapped ties with him legally after he married a girl against our wishes. I officially debarred him from any property rights in 2016,” claimed Joginder, adding that his wife Balwinder Kaur talks to him sometimes.

The family hails from Chabal village, near Amritsar. In a statement, Punjab Police had earlier said that Jagjeet (37) was originally from village Mianpur in Tarn Taran, had moved to the UK in 2010 on a student visa and after completing studies, “is believed to have joined the British Army in 2013”.

“Jagjeet Singh developed links with banned terrorist groups namely Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and KZF. He formed a radical group namely Akaljot Khalistan Force (AKF) and was trying to revive terrorist activities in Punjab by recruiting new members in his group,” the statement said.

Joginder, however, said that these “allegations are not even properly drafted”.

“It makes no sense. We have born and brought him up. Every parent knows about the child they nurture. I know that he can’t be involved in such activities,” added the father.

Talking about the encounter in Pilibhit, Joginder said even if the terror suspects who were killed had named his son, he would have not considered such allegations.

“My father and I served in the Army. My elder son is posted as Havildar in the Army. We had informed police that we have legally snapped ties with Jagjeet. But still, we do believe that he is not involved in such activities,” said Joginder.

He said that Jagjeet has not talked to the family “especially after the allegations that police” made. “He is currently in UK at his job. There are other youth from our region serving in the British army. So they keep informing us about his well being when they come home,” he said.

Asked if they police had visited the family, Joginder said, “Police had visited us around five years back. No police officer came to us to ask about our son in recent times,” he added.

On Tuesday, Rhian Shillabeer, Communications Officer, Directorate of Defence Communications, Ministry of Defence, Whitehall, London, had told the Indian Express that “there is no one with either the name or pseudonym provided currently serving in the British Army”.

“We have had no approach from Indian authorities about anyone in the Army being involved in the incident you reference in any way,” said Shillabeer.

DGP Yadav, however, said, “The information that we have put out has been gleaned through thorough investigation and interrogation of the accused who have been arrested for terrorist acts. We shall be taking up this matter with the British authorities through proper channels”.