Kalyan 1991 train blast: SIT to probe convict’s activities since he jumped parole in 2007

Bittu, now 54, had allegedly looted Rs 2,000 on October 22, 1991 from Sharma petrol pump at Bharanj in Maharashtra. Three days later, he allegedly looted Rs 17,000 from a person near Nashik even as he was being chased by a police team. The police records further claim that Bittu fired on the police team during the chase, allegedly killing three policemen. Two weeks later, on November 8, 1991, he boarded a local train from Amabarnath station, placed a bomb on the train, and got down at Thane. The bomb exploded when the train reached Kalyan railway station. Twelve people were killed and 65 injured in the explosion.

After the blast, he was living at Chandanpur in Maharashtra along with two other accused in the case, Pardhan Singh Buchhar and Nishan Singh. On a tip-off, police had raided their house following which Bittu managed to flee, Buchhar Singh was killed and Nishan Singh arrested.

Bittu was later arrested on July 6, 1992 and sentenced to life in 1997 under Sections 3 and 4 of TADA, besides various other offences punishable under the Indian Penal Code.

Bittu was serving his sentence in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail when he was granted parole in 2007 but he did not return to jail. Sources said Bittu mostly lived in Maharashtra and occasionally visited Tarn Taran in Punjab from where he procured heroin and smack from a notorious smuggler of the district, Gurpratap Singh, who was also arrested with him.

“He fetched heroin from Punjab and sold it in various parts of Punjab as well as Maharashtra,” added sources.

Bittu was living under a fake identity and on his arrest disclosed his name as Sarwan Singh. Police said they became suspicious during interrogation and found his real identity.