Chandigarh: Most wanted terrorist and active member of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist module, Charanjit Singh alias Patialavi, who was evading security agencies for 12 years by using different identities, was arrested by Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on Sunday, police said.
The state government has recently constituted an AGTF headed by ADGP Pramod Ban, under the supervision of DGP V.K. Bhawra, to intensify action against gangsters.
DIG, AGTF, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said accused Charanjit Patialavi, a resident of Patiala district, was declared proclaimed offender on July 23, 2010. However, his associate, Gurmail Singh Boba (now deceased) was arrested in this case along with recovery of detonators and RDX.
He said the AGTF, led by AIG Gurmeet Singh Chauhan and DSP Bikramjit Singh Brar, arrested Patialavi from Dera Bassi town.
“Patialavi, disguising himself as a ‘granthi’ was staying in Gurdwara Sahib at Khargpur in West Bengal and was not using any communication device,” said Bhullar, adding different identification cards on West Bengal address have been recovered from his possession.
Investigation is in process and it may lead to more arrests and important disclosures, said Bhullar.
Patialavi was an active member of the BKI module that was busted by the police in 2010 for its involvement in the Shingar Cinema bomb blasts in Ludhiana in 2007, and other blasts at Kali Mata Mandir in Patiala and Ambala in 2010. All the other associates of Patialavi were arrested in 2010 by the police.
