Lucknow, February 19 An alleged militant associated with the banned Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), who had been on the run since 1995 after being released on bail, was arrested in Punjab by a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Noida police, officials said on Thursday.
The accused – identified as Sukhwinder Singh Dhillon, also known as Dayal Singh or Rakesh Sharma Chhinda, originally from Kapurthala in Punjab – was apprehended on February 18 from the Mohali district, where he had been residing, they said.
According to officials, Dhillon was allegedly an active member of the banned outfit and was wanted in a case registered at the Sector 20 police station in Gautam Buddha Nagar under the Arms Act.
He was arrested in the case in April 1993 after an AK-56 rifle and 121 cartridges were recovered from his possession, and was subsequently granted bail by a court in December 1993.
He appeared before the authorities on a few occasions after being granted bail, but went into hiding since August 16, 1995, and a non-bailable warrant was issued against him by the court, officials said.
The Noida unit of the ATS received intelligence inputs about his presence in Mohali. They said the information was gathered through technical and human surveillance, as well as coordination with other agencies, ultimately leading to his arrest after nearly 31 years on the run.
The accused, who is now around 63 years old, has been taken into custody for further legal proceedings, officials added.