MILITANT Narain Singh Chaura arrested; arms, ammunition recovered

Chandigarh, February 27, 2013: A Punjab Police party headed by Sukhdev Singh, DSP/CID/Tarn Taran and Inspetor Sanjeev Kumar, SHO/P.S. Civil Lines, Amritsar tracked and nabbed absconding militant Narain Singh Chaura in Village Jalalabad within jurisdiction of police station Verowal in Tarn Taran district in the late evening of February 26.

According to an official release issued by the office of ADGP, Intelligence, Punjab, Narain Singh Chaura was arrested in Case FIR. No. 201, dated May 8, 2010 u/s 4/5 Explosives Act and 3/4/5 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Police Station Civil Lines, Amritsar.

Upon his initial questioning, raids were conducted in the area of Village Kurali, District S.A.S. Nagar in the intervening night of February 26-27. One AK?56 alongwith 20 rounds, one .30 Mauser alongwith 50 rounds and five hand grenades packed in a box were recovered.

An FIR under sections 3/4/5 Explosive Act, 25 Arms Act, 10, 13, 18, 20 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at police station Kurali in District S.A.S. Nagar has been registered in this regard.

On the basis of information given by Narain Singh Chaura, two of his accomplices namely Sukhwant Singh and Sukhdev Singh have also been arrested from Village Jalalabad, District Tarn Taran and Village Pandori, District Majitha, respectively and FIR dated February 27, 2013 under sections 212, 216 IPC P.S.Verowal, District Tarn Taran and FIR dated today under sections 212, 216 IPC and 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, P.S.Kambo, Distt. Amritsar Rural have been registered against them.

Narain Singh @ Chaura @ Shamsher Singh @ Shera @ Chamkaur Singh @ Kapoor Singh Jamraudh, a resident of Village Chaura, PS Dera Baba Nanak, District Gurdaspur has been actively associated with militant activities in the State since the early 1980s. In 1984 he had crossed over to Pakistan and was instrumental in smuggling in huge consignments of weapons and explosives into Punjab during the initial stages of militancy. While in Pakistan he authored a book on Guerrilla war fare and other seditious literature. He returned to India in 1986, went underground and later again crossed over to Pakistan. In 1989 he came back to operate in India under the assumed names of Chamkaur Singh and Kapoor Singh Jamraudh. He founded the Akal Federation and later the Khalistan Liberation Army outfits.

In the recent past Narain Singh Chaura had been actively attempting to revive militancy in Punjab by coordinating the efforts of remnant terrorist groups in Punjab and abroad.

He is involved in over 2 dozen terrorist activity cases.

He was instrumental in Burail Jail break case leading to the escape of Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara and Paramjit Singh Bheora. In this case he remained lodged in Burail Jail from where he was released on bail on April 29, 2005.

In December, 2009 and January, 2010 he procured huge quantities of arms and explosives from Pakistan and distributed the same to terrorist modules in Punjab. Part of this consignment was recovered with the recovery of an explosive laden Maruti Car at Amritsar, in May 2010. An FIR dated May 8, 2010 u/s 4/5 Explosive Substantive Act, 1908 3/4/5 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Police Station Civil Lines, Amritsar was registered. Sukhdev Singh and Gurwinder Singh were arrested, whereas Narain Singh Chaura had absconded. Chaura has been arrested in this case yesterday.

Other parts of this consignment – AK-74/2, Sub Machine Gun/1, Pistol/3, .315 Bore Riffle/1, Revolver/1, AK-47/1, RDX/15 Kg – were recovered in June and July 2010 when the State Special Cell, Punjab busted 2 BKI modules. Other associates of Chaura had been arrested, whereas he had absconded.

Since then (June, 2010), Narain Singh Chaura had gone underground, and the government had announced a reward of Rs.10 lacs for his arrest.

The Police Department has promoted the officials who carried out this operation. One SI has been promoted to the rank of Inspector, 4 HCs to the rank of ASI and 5 Constables to the rank of Head Constable.

Further investigations are in progress.