Crime

Kashmiri Sikh youth arrested in Delhi, charged under UAPA for alleged Khalistan Liberation Front links

He is innocent, unfairly subjugated to this harassment, says Sister

‘Don’t understand how police and media tracked some connection to Pakistan’ 

New Delhi: A Kashmiri Sikh youth who was missing from his home since June 15, yesterday emerged in the custody of the Delhi Police custody for allegedly having links with the militant outfit KLF (Khalistan Liberation Front).

The youth Mohinderpal Singh, 29, from Diwan Bag, Baramulla, Kashmir, was living in Chander Vihar in New Delhi.

He had been missing for since June 15, 2020, and was taken into custody along with two other people.

Singh has been booked under section 13/18/20 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

“Police got a tip-off regarding the activities of one Mohinder, a sympathizer of Khalistan Liberation Front, who was planning to commit a terrorist activity in the national capital after which a trap was laid near Hastsal on June 15 and around 9 pm, Mohinder was arrested,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav told The Hindu.

Police claimed the accused disclosed their links with Khalistan Liberation Force leaders and revealed plans to commit target-killings on instructions from Khalistani militants sponsored by Pakistan’s ISI.

The police while seeking custody of Singh submitted that Singh was arrested on June 16 ‘at night with illegal firearm (one pistol with two live rounds)’ and allegedly disclosed that ‘he was in touch with Khalistani Militants like Daya Singh Lahoriya and Jagtar Singh Hawara’.

Delhi Police’s Special Cell while seeking custody had written to the Patiala House Court that the recovered weapon belonged to ‘Lovely of Samana who has the same ideology and had met him at Harminder Sahib on annual meetings of Khalistan Jathebandi’.

Rajkumar, aka Lovely, 21, from Shadipur, Kaithal, was also arrested on June 18 from Samana and one country-made firearm was recovered and seized, as per the police.

The police in their investigation also claims to have found several video/audio clips “promoting Khalistan terrorism, and several pictures of arms and ammunition in the accused’s mobile phone”.

Speaking to Free Press Kashmir, Mohinderpal Singh’s sister, Sandeep Kaur expressed her grievances and elaborated over the occurrences.

“He left home around 6:15 pm on June 15, saying he needed to visit a doctor. At 7:30 pm, I got a call where he conveys to me that he’s in Uttam Nagar with his friend Gurpreet Singh. By the time it was 10:30 pm and he had not returned, we got worried with regards to his whereabouts.”

Later, at night Mohindepal’s friend Gurpreet Singh called his wife and told her he was detained in Special Cell Crime Branch, Sector-6, Rohini.

When it was conveyed to Sandeep Kaur and her family that their ward was in custody, they immediately rushed to meet him.

“However, we were denied the meeting and told that investigation needs to be done,” said Kaur. “We were told that he’ll be alright and was put under a 3-day custody.”

According to Kaur, as the legalities and events unfolded, he was charged under the Arms Act; and eventually post another 3 day of custody, was slammed with UAPA.

“There’s no contractual evidence as to which he was associated with anyone or wanted to. The police have mentioned a phone call with some person, which very clearly doesn’t mention any organisations or place,” the sister says.

Denied familial contact for close to 2 weeks, Singh was further kept in custody.

“I don’t understand how in the world did the police and media track some connection to Pakistan,” said a rather infuriated Kaur. “He’s an innocent young man, does Tabla Seva at the local Gurudwara. This unfair media trial and investigation has ruined his future prospects,” she said.

“My brother is innocent and has been unfairly subjugated to this form of official harassment,” concluded Kaur.

 

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