Police arrest dead8217; terrorist

BATALA, Oct 11: The arrest of Gurnam Singh Bandala, a top rank terrorist and an associate of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, announced b...

BATALA, Oct 11: The arrest of Gurnam Singh Bandala, a top rank terrorist and an associate of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, announced by Director General of Police P.C. Dogra here today, may land Ropar police in a soup, which in July 1994 had declared Bandala killed in an encounter and also claimed the reward money.

Bandala, who was founder member of Panthic Committee formed by Bhindranwale, was arrested on October 2 from Mankhera village, where he was living under the assumed name of Sant Surjit Singh since 1994. He originally hails from Bandala village in Ferozepur district.

Replying to a question, Dogra said that he had ordered an inquiry into the claim of Ropar police of having killed Bandala in 1994. He, however, stated that it was a case of 8220;mistaken identity8221;. He refused to divulge the names of police officers who had received the reward money.

Dogra said, a loyalist of Damdami Taksal, Bandala was in the process of constructing a dera in Mankhera village in Batala district and was also working on reviving militant connections abroad. He said Bandala was one of the most trusted persons of Bhindranwale and had worked in coordination with Taksal backed militants Harbhajan Singh Mand, Gurdev Singh Satiawalan, Gurdev Singh Osmanwala, Gurjit Singh Chowk Harihar and Gurnam Singh Neelathara.

DGP said Bandala had made at least 35 trips to Pakistan between 1985 and 1989 and brought many arms consignments. He said during interrogation he had confessed of having brought 50 rocket launchers, 350 assault rifles, 200 small weapons besides other items. Dogra said Bandala had assumed a wider role after Operation Bluestar and coordinated between top ranking militants.Dogra said Bandala came in contact with Bhindranwale in early 808217;s in the aftermath of a dispute with his brothers and shifted to Mehta Chowk headquarters of Damdami Taksal. He permanently shifted to Golden Temple complex in 1982, DGP claimed.

Dogra said Bandala had played an active role in consolidating pro-militant elements under federation and remained closely associated with top hitmen and killing squads run by Khalistan Commando Force and Khalistan Liberation Force, which had members like Manbir Singh Chaheru, Hari Singh, Daljit Singh Bittu, Harjinder Singh Jinda, Gurjant Singh Rajasthan and Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala.

DGP didn8217;t rule out more arrests on the basis of interrogation of Bandala. He said so far one assault rifle, four AK magazines, 116 cartridges, two pencil bombs, three HE-36 hand grenades, three stick bombs, 25 cyanide capsules, one 30 bore pistol along with one magazine and seven cartridges had been recovered from him.

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He further said that Bandala was wanted in at least 10 cases of terrorist strikes. He and his associates were responsible for sensational crimes such as Ludhiana bank dacoity, shoot-out in district courts Jalandhar, killing of Anil Baghi, a journalist of Ferozepur, shoot-out in Jalandhar in which a Congress leader Khullar was killed, shoot-out in Osmanwala village in which six persons had been killed and attack on police post in Mari Kamaaoke.

Dogra said several documents suggesting Bandala8217;s links with militants abroad and of him having received financial help were recovered by the police. Bandala had confessed of being on regular pay-rolls of Damdami Taksal and had recently received Rs 50,000 from the Taksal, besides some money from Dhanna Singh, another member of Panthic Committee now settled in USA.

Dogra said this success was received under the Operation Pehchan launched by Batala police. He said operation to arrest Bandala was conducted under the command of DIG Border range Samant Kumar Goel and SSP Batala Lok Nath Angra.