Police remand for two in Burail jail-break conspiracy

According to the prosecution, the explosive was to be employed for blowing up a portion of the jail to enable Jagtar Singh Hawara and other alleged assassins of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, to escape.

Seeking ten-day police remand today for Satnam Singh, Assistant District Attorney Vinay Jhingan contended that five detonators, along with batteries and wires, hidden in fields in Selampur village, were to be recovered

.Satnam Singh was also to be interrogated regarding the other accused involved in the conspiracy, including one Tony residing in US, he stated.

Over a kilograms of PETN explosive was recovered from the accused when he was apprehended, while about 1.700 kilograms of explosive was recovered upon his disclosure statement, from his residence. Besides, two high frequency wireless sets were also recovered from him. It was added that the accused had visited Hawara four times, by giving a false name.

Meanwhile, seeking ten-day police remand for Baljit Singh too, the ADA contended that he was to be interrogated regarding the other accused and on his part in the conspiracy.

Baljit, he contended, was a contact between Hawara and other conspirators. Further, Satnam had collected more than Rs 1.45 lakh from Baljit to purchase explosives from Devinder Singh at Ropar, the ADA stated.

The wireless sets were also to be smuggled into the jail through him. A slip with his name and address was also recovered from Satnam Singh, the ADA added.

Opposing the plea for police remand, the defence counsel added that Baljit Singh was being falsely implicated in the case as he had earlier alleged illegal detention by officials of the Chandigarh Police.

No recovery was to be made from the accused and the allegations against him were vague. Further, meeting an accused lodged in jail was no crime and no complaint was made against him by the prison authorities.