Former Sikh militant arrested for allegedly robbing diamond merchant in Delhi

New Delhi (IANS): A former Sikh militant and elder brother of a convict in Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination was arrested here for robbing a diamond merchant, police said Friday.

Police said Avtar Singh, 47, was a member of a robbers’ gang who used to target jewellers in Delhi. Five members of the gang have already been arrested.

They had robbed jewelery worth Rs.2 crore from a Mumbai-based diamond merchant in central Delhi.

Apart from Avtar Singh, Gurjit Singh, Anil Luthra and Amit Kapoor were arrested from central Delhi Thursday evening. Singh was involved in over 15 criminal cases, including terrorist activities in Punjab.

“He has been involved in cases of TADA in Punjab and Delhi, and also is a former member of All India Sikh Student Federation and Bhindrawala Tiger Force,” said Additional Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar.

Singh’s younger brother Paramjeet, 42, was arrested in 1997 in the Beant Singh assassination case along with his associate Jagtar Singh Hawara.

In 2004, Paramjeet escaped from Budheil Jail in Chandigarh but was re-arrested in 2006.