A top commander of a Sikh armed group was recaptured by police in the Indian capital Delhi a day after he was freed in a dramatic jailbreak by a gang wearing police uniforms.

Harminder Singh Mintoo, leader of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) - a group fighting for a Sikh homeland in Punjab - was freed in an early-morning raid on Sunday by at least 10 armed men.

They stabbed one guard and opened fire before fleeing with the prisoners in cars. Three policemen were wounded in the assault, which prompted a massive hunt for the fugitives.

On Monday, Mintoo was arrested on the outskirts of the capital at a train station about 200km from the high-security prison in Punjab state, where he had been remanded since 2014 on "terrorism" charges.

READ MORE: 1984 anti-Sikh riots - Calls for justice in India

"He was caught near Delhi early Monday and will be brought to Punjab," A S Chahal, a senior local police official, told AFP news agency.

Four other inmates who also escaped during the breakout - members of a local criminal gang jailed for murder - are still at large, Chahal added.

A $36,000 reward was offered for information on Mintoo's whereabouts. It was not clear if the bounty played any part in his recapture.

Punjab's deputy chief minister had said state police were "investigating conspiracy between terrorists and gangsters to disturb peace in Punjab before elections".

Four officials, including the Punjab prison chief and jail superintendent, were suspended or sacked following the jailbreak.

Armed campaign

Punjab was in the grip of an armed conflict for more than two decades after the 1970s after several Sikh groups launched an armed campaign for an independent Sikh country.

The violence peaked following the 1984 storming of Amritsar's Golden Temple - the holiest shrine in Sikhism - by the Indian army to flush out armed fighters.

The military operation angered Sikhs, resulting in the assassination of Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh guards and thousands of Sikhs taking up arms to avenge the sacrilege.

More than 20,000 people, mostly civilians, died during the late 1990s unrest in Punjab.</s>New Delhi: Khalistan Liberation Force chief Harminder Singh ‘Mintoo’, who along with five others escaped from the high security jail in Nabha on Sunday, was arrested near Delhi railway station on Monday.

"Mintoo has been arrested from Delhi railway station by Delhi police," said a senior official of Punjab police in Chandigarh.

He said Delhi police nabbed the dreaded terrorist on the basis of inputs passed on by Punjab police. "We passed on the information about Mintoo following which Delhi police arrested him," official said.

He said a team of Punjab police will go to Delhi to bring him back.

It is the second arrest in the case. UP police last evening arrested the alleged "mastermind" of the daring daylight jailbreak, Parminder Singh.

He was arrested from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district when the getaway vehicle--a Toyota Fortuner—was stopped at a police picket.

A group of armed men in police uniform broke into high security Nabha Central jail of Punjab yesterday and took along six inmates including Mintoo.

The Punjab Government has suspended the Director General (Jails) and dismissed the Nabha Jail superintendent and deputy jail superintendent and set up a special task force to look into the Nabha jailbreak incident.

Mintoo was arrested by Punjab Police after he was deported from Thailand in November 2014.

The KLF chief was brought to India along with his key aide Gurpeet Singh ‘Gopi’ after Punjab Police, in coordination with central agencies, traced them in Thailand, a senior police official said.

Mintoo was wanted in ten terror offences while Gopi was tasked to target Hindu outfit leaders in 2013, which were foiled by Punjab Police, in a bid to disturb the peace in the state.

The then Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini had then claimed that Pakistan’s spy agency ISI was “making concerted efforts” to use terror outfits like KLF and Babbar Khalsa to revive terrorism in Punjab, with focus on carrying out killings of prominent leaders belonging to a particular community.

To strengthen KLF, he had developed independent contacts with the foreign-based supporters and fund raisers of terrorism, the official said.

When he was in Pakistan, Mintoo worked with Babbar Khalsa International. But, but being ambitious and a good organiser, he developed independent contacts with Pakistan’s ISI and Europe and North America-based terrorist sympathisers and fund raisers and had planned to raise his own outfit, police had then said.

During his stay in Pakistan, he had visited Europe in 2010 to establish contacts and in June 2013, he left Pakistan for an extensive tour of Europe lasting 11 months, police had then said.</s>Khalistani terrorist Harminder Singh Mintoo, who escaped from a high security jail in Punjab yesterday, was arrested today near Delhi, police sources said.

Police said five other escaped convicts remain missing. Mintoo and the others ran away from Nabha Central Jail in Punjab when a group of armed men in police uniform stormed the prison complex early on Sunday.

He was arrested in a joint operation by the Delhi Police and the Punjab Police. The Khalistani terrorist is an accused in more than 10 terror-related cases.

He is the head of the Khalistan Liberation Force. Earlier, he was arrested from Delhi’s IGI airport in November 2014. According to the police, he was trying to reorganise the Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF), and had developed close contacts with Pakistan’s ISI.</s>Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF) chief Harminder Mintoo’s run after his daring escape from Nabha jail in Punjab on Sunday lasted only a few hours as he landed in police net in Delhi on Sunday night.



 The Delhi police said that he was arrested from Nizamuddin Railway station in a joint swoop with Punjab police. Mintoo had trimmed his hair and beard after the escape and he was trying to flee to Mumbai. He tried to whip out a sophisticated semi-automatic pistol, but the police overpowered him, sources said.



 From Mumbai, he wanted to move to Goa where some of his family members live, and then fly to either Malaysia or Germany, sources said. The separatist was sent to seven days judicial custody after being produced before a Delhi court. Meanwhile search is on to nab Mintoo’s aide Kashmira Singh, said to be hiding in Delhi.



 Mintoo, who was arrested from Delhi’s IGI airport in November 2014 when he was returning from Thailand, fled from high security Nabha jail with the help of armed men who helped him escape by firing more than 100 rounds. Four others who had fled from the jail with him are Gurpreet Singh, Vicky Gondra, Nitin Deol and Vikramjit Singh.



 Before Mintoo, another person, identified as Parminder, who had fled with him, was arrested from Shamli in UP. The police recovered huge cache of arms from his car. Parminder was accused of attacking Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 2008 and placing explosives at Air Force station in Halwara in 2010.



 Mintoo is said to have close links with Pakistan’s ISI. He became the KLF chief in 2009 leaving another terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International. He was accused of killing three Shiv Sena leaders in Punjab. He was in Pakistan for sometime from where he travelled through Europe and South East Asia.



 The daring jail break in Nabha embarrassed Punjab police as those who escaped were in regular touch with gangsters on Whats app. The police had information about the call details yet they failed to act. Questions are also being asked as to how none of the jail authorities received injuries despite 100 rounds being fired.</s>Khalistan Liberation Front chief Harminder Mintoo, who escaped from the high security Nabha jail in Punjab on Sunday, was arrested in Delhi on Monday. Five armed men in police uniform stormed the jail and escaped with six prisoners, including Mintoo.

“Khalistani terrorist Harminder Mintoo, who escaped from jail yesterday, [has been] arrested near Delhi railway station,” a Punjab police officer said.

Others who fled were Kashmira Singh, an alleged terrorist, and alleged gangsters Vicky Gaundar, Amandeep Dhotian, Gurpreet Sekhon and Nita Deol.

Mintoo, who formed a new outfit after breaking away from Babbar Khalsa International in 2009, was held in November 2014 after he was deported from Thailand. He is wanted in 10 terror cases.</s>Khalistan Liberation Force chief Harminder Singh Mintoo comes out after being produced at Patiala House Court in New Delhi on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Singh Mintoo, who was arrested from Delhi’s Nizammuddin railway station on Sunday after escaping from Nabha prison, has revealed to the Delhi Police that was receiving instructions from Pakistan’s spy agency the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

According to a report in Hindustan Times, Mintoo disclosed the names of his two alleged ISI handlers to the police.

He said that one was based in Lahore in Pakistan while the other was in a European country, probably Germany, which was to be the KLF militant’s final destination.

Police refused to disclose the names given by Mintoo, saying they were yet to verify them.

Mintoo told police that he learnt about the jailbreak plan a fortnight ago, the report said. As his handlers were looking for an opportunity to get him out of the jail, Mintoo alerted them about the plan through a common contact.

Police said Mintoo was provided Rs 25,000 to ‘manage everything’ in the jail. The police are now probing the role of jail staff, said the report.

Mintoo had escaped Nabha prison in Punjab along with 5 others in a daring jailbreak late on Saturday. Police have so far tracked down 2 of the escapees including Mintoo.</s>Khalistan Liberation Force chief Harminder Singh 'Mintoo' who along with five others escaped from the high security jail in Nabha on Sunday, was arrested by Punjab Police after he was deported from Thailand in November 2014.

The KLF chief was brought to India along with his key aide Gurpeet Singh 'Gopi' after Punjab Police, in coordination with central agencies, traced them in Thailand, a senior police official said.

Mintoo was wanted in ten terror offences while Gopi was tasked to target Hindu outfit leaders in 2013, which were foiled by Punjab Police, in a bid to disturb the peace in the state.

The then Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini had then claimed that Pakistan's spy agency ISI was "making concerted efforts" to use terror outfits like KLF and Babbar Khalsa to revive terrorism in Punjab, with focus on carrying out killings of prominent leaders belonging to a particular community.

To strengthen KLF, he had developed independent contacts with the foreign-based supporters and fund raisers of terrorism, the official said.

When he was in Pakistan, Mintoo worked with Babbar Khalsa International. But, but being ambitious and a good organiser, he developed independent contacts with Pakistan's ISI and Europe and North America-based terrorist sympathisers and fund raisers and had planned to raise his own outfit, police had then said.

During his stay in Pakistan, he had visited Europe in 2010 to establish contacts and in June 2013, he left Pakistan for an extensive tour of Europe lasting 11 months, police had then said.

In South East Asia, the KLF chief had travelled to Laos, Cambodia, Burma, besides Thailand where he had established a base, police had said.

The counter-intelligence wing of Punjab police had been tracking them and shared intelligence inputs with the Central agencies. It was found that Mintoo was using a fake Malaysian passport issued in the name of one Gurdeep Singh.

A two-member team of counter intelligence wing of Punjab police had camped in Thailand for three weeks.

Harminder had been influenced by the radical ideology and had developed contacts with Pakistan based terrorist leaders particularly Wadhawa Singh, the chief of Babbar Khalsa International-another militant outfit, police had then said.</s>Khalistan Liberation Force chief Harminder Singh Mintoo comes out after being produced at Patiala House Court in New Delhi on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

Chandigarh: Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Singh Mintoo, who had escaped from Nabha jail in Punjab along with five other inmates on Sunday and was arrested by Delhi police from Nizamuddin railway station, was in touch with terror groups in Pakistan, Punjab police said on Monday.

"Mintoo was in touch with associates of terror groups in Pakistan," Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora said this evening.

The dreaded terrorist would be subjected to "intensive interrogation" when he would be brought from Delhi, the DGP said.

"We will put him to intensive interrogation after we bring him to Punjab," he further said.

On Sunday, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had voiced apprehension that Pakistan could be behind the sensational Nabha jailbreak, saying the neighbouring country was "desperate to revive terrorism" after Indian army conducted the surgical strike across the LoC.

"Pak desperate to revive terror post surgical strike. Could be behind jail break," Sukhbir had tweeted.

Mintoo, who was wanted in ten terror offences, was arrested by Punjab Police after he was deported from Thailand in November 2014.

DGP further said that Parminder Singh Pinda would also be questioned when he would be brought to the state.

Pinda was arrested Sunday evening from Kairana in Uttar Pradeshs Shamli district by UP Police.

In a sensational jailbreak, Mintoo on Sunday escaped along with five other prisoners after armed men in police uniform stormed the high-security Nabha prison in Patiala. He was nabbed from Nizamuddin railway station in Delhi on Monday.</s>In a sensational jailbreak, chief of the Khalistan Liberation Front Harminder Mintoo on Monday escaped along with five other prisoners after armed men in police uniforms stormed the high-security Nabha prison here, exposing “lapses” and raising doubts of possible collusion of insiders. Parminder Singh, the leader of the gang, which stormed into the jail, was later arrested in Kairana police circle of Shamli district in UP.



 Parminder was driving the SUV which was used in the attack, when he was intercepted by the police. Director General of Police (DGP) UP Javeed Ahmed said the arrest was made following an alert about the movement of the SUVs in which the jail break accused had escaped. He too is a fugitive and was lodged at Nabha jail from where he escaped in March, said Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Saharanpur (Range) Jitendra Kumar Shahi.



 Punjab DGP Suresh Arora earlier said that “the unidentified assailants came in police fatigues and were carrying small firearms.” He said that they told police personnel deployed on jail premises that they were bringing a prisoner. “Later, they fired indiscriminately and fled with six criminals, including a terrorist,” he said, adding over 35 rounds were fire and there was no casualty among the jail personnel, who were allegedly taken offguard and did not offer any strong resistance. “The firing was also done from inside the jail. We will see why the firing was not effective,” the DGP said and added there is a “conspiracy somewhere”. A woman died after being hit by a bullet when the police opened fire at her vehicle after it jumped a barrier about 20 km away from the prison. The incident occurred at a ‘naka’ on Patiala-Gulha Cheeka road.



 Punjab government sacked Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent, ADGP (Jails) and formed an SIT to probe the incident. It ordered a separate inquiry headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Jagpal Singh Sandhu to look into the “security lapses”.



 Those who escaped include hardcore Khalistani militant Mintoo, who was arrested by Punjab police in November 2014 after he was deported from Thailand and was wanted in 10 terror cases. The other absconders are gangster Vicky Gaundar, Amandeep Dhotian, Gurpreet Sekhon, Nita Deol and Kashmira Singh, who is also a terrorist. The DGP said that the prisoners had fled towards Haryana. Punjab government has announced a reward of Rs 25 lakh for any person who provides information leading to the arrest of the under-trials.



 After the jailbreak, security agencies in northern states were put on high alert and Home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal. He sought an immediate report on the incident, besides directing the state to step up security in jails. National security advisor Ajit Doval spoke to deputy CM Sukhbir Badal who apprised him of the steps being taken to nab the six absconders. Sukhbir said Pakistan could be behind the incident as it was desperate to revive terrorism in the state.



 With Punjab going to polls early next year, the opposition Congress said the incident exposed the “complete breakdown of law and order” in the state and triggered fears of revival of terrorism ahead of Assembly elections.</s>Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal about the Nabha jailbreak in which Khalistan Liberation Front chief escaped along with five other prisoners and sought a detailed report from the state government.

The Home Minister, who was in Hyderabad, also asked the Chief Minister to take urgent steps to tighten security in all jails in Punjab, officials said.

During the 15-minute telephonic conversation, Mr. Badal briefed Mr. Singh about the incident and steps taken to nab the culprits.

“I have told the Home Secretary to get a report from the Punjab government immediately. If the Punjab government needs any assistance, we will provide it,” Mr. Singh said.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal also spoke to the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and apprised him of the details of the incident. He updated the NSA on steps being taken to apprehend the culprits.

Concerned over the incident, Home Ministry asked the Punjab government to send the report as early as possible.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi also spoke to Director General of Punjab Police and asked him to ensure adequate security in all jails in Punjab.

In the sensational jailbreak, a group of armed men in police uniform attacked the high-security Nabha Jail in Patiala and fled with six prisoners, including Khalistan Liberation Front chief Harminder Mintoo, an accused in 10 cases.

The incident came two days after Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked security forces to guard against attempts to disturb peace through “vicious” political campaign or by external extremist forces during the election process in Punjab and four other states.

“We have to keep strict vigil against external extremist elements who may try to create disturbance in Punjab. There have been increased activities of the Sikh terrorists in recent months.

“Similarly in Manipur, we have to ensure peace keeping in mind the ethnic divide. In Uttar Pradesh too, there may be attempts to disturb law and order through vicious political campaigning. We have to keep strict vigil and take proper steps to ensure peace during election,” he said at the DGPs conference in Hyderabad on Friday.
Harminder Singh Mintoo, a top commander in the Khalistan Liberation Force, is recaptured in Delhi following his dramatic escape yesterday from a high-security prison in Punjab.