Babbar Khalsa quieter but not quite silent

Special cell of Delhi police seized 5 kg of explosives and said it was transported by BKI members.

Babbar Khalsa International,the militant organisation that thrived in Punjab from the mid-1980s to the late 90s,was believed to be dying a slow death after the arrest of its key members in the late 90s. Now,a special cell of the Delhi police has seized five kilograms of explosives from a car at the parking lot outside Ambala railway station and said it was being transported by the BKI members for a terror strike in New Delhi.

The internationally banned outfit had not carried out any major terror strikes over a decade except for two attacks on cinemas in 2005 and 2007 but investigating agencies say they had always been apprehending a revival. Police across the country have been arresting men they call BKI members,and have been recovering explosives and arms from them. These militants were supposedly being monitored by BKI chief Wadhawa Singh from Pakistan.

The outfit had shocked the world in 1985 when some of its members triggered a mid-air explosion on Kanishka,an Air India flight,off the coast of Ireland,killing the 329 passengers and crew members. Talwinder Singh Parmar,one of those involved in the bombing,was killed in an encounter in 1992.

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The next huge strike was in 1995,when Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh was assassinated by a BKI team. Dilawar Singh,a former constable with Punjab police,acted as a human bomb at the Punjab Civil Secretariat. Ten surviving members of the team were later arrested.

Police officials say the organisation had flourished during the Khalistan movement,roping in more and more youths,but the arrest of those involved in the Beant Singh assassination was considered a blow to the outfit. But it did execute occasional strikes,investigating agencies say. In 2007 at Ludhianas Shingar Cinema,for instance,a blast killed seven persons and injured 34.

Intelligence officials say Jagtar Singh Tara,among the masterminds in the assassination and who sensationally escaped from jail in Chandigarh,has been roping in youth from across the world and creating an offshoot of BKI,which he has named the Khalistan Tiger Force. Tara is believed to be operating from somewhere in northern India.

Signals,2010

November 4: Arrested from Punjab,Jaswant Singh and Surender Singh who allegedly confess to having killed former terrorist Ajit Singh Poohla in jail

October 23: Arrested from UP,Makhan Singh,with currency

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October 17: Arrested from Punjab,Karanbir Singh,with arms and explosives ; he escapes the following day

July 22: Arrested from UK,four operatives including top leader Paramjit Singh Pamma over killing (in Patiala,2009) of Rulda Singh,Punjab unit chief of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat

July 18: Arrested from Punjab,four militants with weapons and explosives,including Harmohinder Singh,mastermind of 2007 cinema blast

June 12: Arrested from Punjab,Balwinder Singh and Manjinder Singh,with a pistol and ammunition

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May 8: Found in Punjab,a parked car with two kilograms of explosives; BKI involvement suspected

March 29: Arrested from Punjab,Piara Singh with RDX,which police claim he had smuggled from Pak

March 25: Arrested from Punjab,three militants said to be in touch with Italy-based BKI militant Jasvir Singh Jassi,who allegedly gave them weapons to kill Baba Bhaniarwala

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Babbar Khalsa International

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