The militant, Nirmal Singh Nimma of the Babbar Khalsa International, was reportedly arrested from a rented accommodation at Singhpura road in the township on the night of April 8. But he escaped after giving a slip to the guards on duty at the post, according to highly placed sources in the police.

As Singh's escape is being attributed to laxity on part of the police, the officials are tight-lipped about the incident. Above all, no formal arrest was made as yet and Nimma was picked up following a tip-off. Nimma hails from Dhadiala Natt village in Batala and was residing in Kurali under the assumed name of Pargat Singh.

Nimma is said to have crossed over to Pakistan in 1984 following Operation Blue Star. After staying there for 11 months, he is learnt to have returned to Anandpur Sahib. Since then he had been living at variousgurdwaras as a kar sewak.

Nimma, now in his 30s, is said to have been an inmate of Faislabad Jail in Pakistan. According to information made available, he was imparted arms training by the ISI in the jail. Nimma moved to Kurali about six years ago. After having worked at a gurdwara there, Nimma was expelled by the authorities on complaints of eve-teasing. Till recently he earned his livelihood by performing kirtan at private functions. On receiving a tip-off, the police raided his house and took him into the custody.

Interestingly, Nimma's brother Lakhbir Singh had approached the Kurali Police Station requesting help to find his brother, who had disappeared from the police lock up. However, the sources ruled out the possibility of his having been liquidated.

Meanwhile, the members of Human Rights and Democracy Forum claim to have found out that Nimma was beaten by a team of Kurali police in the presence of his co-tenant. In a written statement to The Indian Express, the chairman of the forum,Jaspal Singh Dhillon and another member Harminder Singh said that Nimma had pleaded for his life before being picked by the police.