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Saudi Arabia Deports Alleged Terror Operative to India - Reports

The alleged operative belonging to the banned Babbar Khalsa, a Sikh terror group, was planning the assassination of Indian political leaders and raising funds for the purpose in Saudi Arabia.
Sputnik

New Delhi (Sputnik) — A wanted operative from the Sikh terrorist group Babbar Khalsa, Bhupinder Singh, was finally put into police custody on Sunday through the joint effort of Saudi Arabian and Indian authorities, according to a report in English daily The Indian Express.

Bhupinder Singh was deported from Saudi Arabia by the Saudi administration and was described by the Indian police as an "important catch". Also going by the alias "Dilawar" he was wanted in a 2017 terror case registered in Punjab.

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His name figured in the case after four persons considered to be active operatives from the Babbar Khalsa terror outfit named Harvinder Singh, Amritpal Kaur, Randeep Singh, and Jarnail Singh were arrested on 29 May 2017.

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The police said that these men were planning to assassinate Congress party leaders Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler along with other prominent leaders of Hindu organisations including the right-wing Shiv Sena party. Bhupinder was allegedly the fundraiser for the assassination bid. One Gaurav Kumar, charged as being the weapons supplier to the terror module was also arrested by the police.

Originally from Tajpur village in the Ludhiana district of Punjab, he is accused of raising funds in Saudi Arabia for the terror cell and for its plan to strike at prominent leaders. He is also accused of radicalising, networking and operationalising Sikh youths in various countries using social media channels.

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Bhupinder is now on six-day police remand. He was produced before the court of a duty magistrate after his arrest on Sunday.

According to The Indian Express, Bhupinder was a social media savvy operative and had a Facebook page named "Mission-e-Khalistan" for his organisation. Khalistan refers to the chief motive of the Babbar Khalsa organisation, which is to establish an independent sovereign state by this name for all adherents of the Sikh religion.    

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