Delhi Police take Jaggi Johal on remand
Cops also claim his role in the killing of Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu who was shot dead in Tarn Taran dist on Oct 16
JOHAL, WHO IS FACING TRIAL IN VARIOUS TERROR-RELATED CASES, IS LODGED IN DELHI’S TIHAR JAIL. EIGHT CASES ARE PENDING AGAINST HIM
AMRITSAR : The Delhi Police’s special cell has secured the remand of British national Jagtar Singh, alias Jaggi Johal from the Patiala House Court in a narco terror case that was registered after the arrest of five men allegedly involved in anti-national activities and targeted killings.
The case was registered after a shootout in east Delhi on December 7.
The police have also claimed Johal’s role in the high-profile killing of Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu who was shot dead at Bhikhiwind village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district on October 16.
Johal, who is facing trial in various terror-related cases, is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
On Thursday, the special cell had moved a request in the court seeking Johal’s remand under the first information report (FIR) registered at its police station.
It came a week after the arrest of Punjab gangster Sukhmeet Pal Singh, alias Bhikhariwal, who is also the alleged mastermind of Sandhu’s killing, the narco-terror case.
Considering the grounds cited by the police reasonable, chief metropolitan magistrate Pankaj Sharma granted 14-day police remand of Johal, who was arrested in November 2017.
Additional commissioner of police (Delhi special cell) Lalit Mohan Negi confirmed the development on phone. Of the five men arrested by Delhi Police, two Punjab men, Gurjit Singh, alias Bhaa and Sukhdeep Singh, aka Bhura are hitmen of Bikhariwal, who was deported from Dubai.
The gang was allegedly instrumental in executing targeted killings on the instructions of the ISI and Pakistanbased Khalistan radicals, as per the Delhi Police cell.
The special cell underlined the alleged connection of Bhikhariwal with Johal.
It told the court that Bhikhariwal disclosed during the remand that he came in contact with Johal through Lakhbir Singh Rode of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF). Johal and one Sunny asked Bhikhariwal to kill Sandhu considering him a threat to the Khalistan movement, it added.
The special cell submitted that there were inputs that the ISI was planning to execute targeting killings of Hindu leaders in Delhi and the neighbouring states through Khalistani operatives by use of high-grade weapons.
Eight cases — six in the Patiala House Court and two in the NIA special court Mohali — are pending against Johal who has got bail in two cases, said his lawyer.
Johal’s lawyer Jaspal Singh Manjhpur termed the move as a “new conspiracy” to keep his client behind the bars as there was “no concrete evidence against him in the pending cases”.
“The government wants to prolong his custody. Also, he is being kept under tight surveillance and is lodged in a highsecurity zone in the Tihar jail. In such a situation, his contact with anyone outside the jail is impossible. I wonder how could he contact Bhikhariwal,” he added.