Malaysia deports Babbar man

KUALA LUMPUR: An Indian believed to be part of militant outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), has been deported by the Malaysian authorities to India, which sought his extradition to face trial.

Satpal Singh (alias Raghvir Singh), 41, was arrested in the suburb of Cheras for immigration offences on January 4 and deported to India on Thursday.

Wanted in many criminal cases in Punjab, he was arrested in Chennai on Thursday on his arrival at the international airport from Singapore. Details in a Punjab Police lookout notice matched his description. He was later handed over to the airport police.

“We believe he is part of Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa International,” said special task force (operations and counter terrorism) director Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

“He had been supplying the group with fake travel documents and using our country as a transit point for the group’s activities,” Harun said in a statement here. He said Satpal had forged documents for several BKI members who were involved in a series of bombings in India in 2006.

The police apparently tracked down the suspected militant, who has been in the country since 2006, following the arrest of four BKI members. Restaurant operator Amarjit Singh ( alias Jasvir Singh), music teacher Daljit Singh Ajaib Khalsa and construction contractor Kawal Singh Soundh were arrested on August 4, 2011, while Daljeet Singh (alias Tarsem Singh) was detained on May 13.