Khalistan extremist’s brother held with opium worth Rs 9L

A 60-year-old man, who, according to the police is the brother of former dreaded Khalistan Liberation Front extremist, was arrested and opium worth around Rs 9 lakh in the international market was recovered from his possession, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as one Jaswant Singh (60), operated across a vast area that includes places around Gurudwaras Rakab Ganj and Bangla Sahib in New Delhi, besides areas like Sultanpuri and Mangolpuri in the outskirts of Delhi. He maintained a longed beard worked in the garb of a Sewadar to avoid getting tracked.

“He was arrested from the Anand Vihar ISBT, just after he deboarded from a bus from Bareilly in UP, allegedly with a consignment of around 6 kg opium,” said Ravindra Yadav, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime).

The police claimed that Singh is the brother of the dreaded Khalistan Liberation Front ‘terrorist’ Avtar Singh Verma, who was killed in a police encounter in Rajasthan in 1986.

Singh revealed that he used to bring the contraband from Bareilly and Punjab to supply in different parts of Delhi. 

He was arrested with the help of the Crime Branch led by inspectors Vivek Tyagi and Vinay Tyagi, said a police official.