Pilibhit encounter: BKI militant Sidhu booked for making ‘extortion calls’ to trader
The FIR comes five days after three alleged militants of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) were gunned down in Pilibhit’s Puranpur on December 23
Police have registered an FIR against wanted Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militant Kulbir Singh Sidhu on the complaint of a local trader in Pilibhit for making extortion calls.
Confirming the development, Pilibhit superintendent of police (SP) Avinash Pandey said that one local businessman, Malkeet Singh, a resident of Gopalpur village, lodged an FIR at a local police station on Saturday.
“The police have started a probe into the matter. As per the complainant Sidhu had threatened the trader and demanded ₹10 lakh extortion,” he said.
The FIR comes five days after three alleged militants of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) were gunned down in Pilibhit’s Puranpur on December 23.
As per a probe by UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and NIA, Sidhu had allegedly arranged a hotel room in Puranpur for the militants.
Another police official said the complainant accused Sidhu, United Kingdom-based Jagjeet Singh alias Fateh Singh Baagi, said to be serving in the British Army and one Rihand of Pakistan of making extortion calls to him.
He said the complainant first received a WhatsApp from Sidhu via a UK number on September 7 earlier this year and demanded ₹10 lakh extortion.
He said the complainant left for London on September 10 but kept receiving extortion calls from Sidhu.
“In between, the complainant received similar extortion calls from one Rihand, using a Pakistan number. Recently, the complainant received a video call demanding extortion from Fateh Sigh Baagi, and he threatened him by showing an AK-47 assault rifle over call on December 6,” the police official said.
“The businessman did not take these extortion calls seriously but gradually realised the threat perception after learning links of Sidhu and Baagi with the killed militants of Khalistan Zindabad Force,” the cop added.
The investigators said the KZF terror module is controlled by one Ranjeet Singh Neeta and operated by Greece-based Punjab native Jaswinder Singh Mannu. It was further controlled by UK-based Jagjeet Singh, who used the identity of Fateh Singh Baggi.
Earlier, the investigation revealed that the NIA had declared a reward of ₹10 lakh on the alleged wanted militant Sidhu whose name surfaced in the murder of VHP leader Vikas Prabhakar, also known as Vikas Bagga, who was shot dead in Nangal on April 13 this year.
The NIA had filed a chargesheet against six people, including Sidhu.
