Though Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had recently claimed that no case of terror has been reported in the state,the number of cases registered by the Punjab Police in the recent past against militants and their arrests narrate a different picture. According to the records of the Punjab Police,21 militants have been arrested in the last two years,including 11 in 2011 and 10 till September 30 in 2012. In all,during the last five years,while 184 militants have been arrested,five have surrendered. Recently,former militants Kulbir Singh Barapind (Akai Dal Panch Pardhani),Daljit Singh Bittu and a British national,Jaswant Singh Azad,were arrested for terror activities and waging war against the country and under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The records also show that more than 50 per cent of the illegal arms and ammunition recovered across the country was from Punjab. An FIR registered by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) under Unlawful Activities Act and under Sections 121/121-A (waging war against the government) in New Delhi on August 8,has also mentioned the names of Wadhava Singh Babbar,Neeta and Tara,who in conspiracy with Bittu and Barapind,are planning to kill prominent personalities in Punjab and Delhi. Another FIR registered by the Jalandhar rural police on September 21 against Barapind stated: A meeting was held in Surrey city of Canada in the second week of September in the presence of friends of Barapind and representative of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). they planned to target prominent personalities in Punjab and Delhi. there is an information that Wadhawa Singh,Jagtar Singh alias Tara have restarted terrorist activities with the help of their friends. According to police sources,the FIR against Daljit Singh Bittu registered by Ludhiana police also state the same. The FIR also mentioned that while Barapind had received Rs 1.75 crore from foreign countries through hawala transactions,Bittu had received over Rs 1 crore. Contacted,a senior SAD leader claimed that no case of militancy has been reported in the state. The Deputy CM,being the home minister,was committed to the peace and harmony in state, he said,adding that he cannot comment against Sukhbir.
