Explosives, arms seizure: Second case involving people close to ex-jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode

JALANDHAR: The Friday action of Punjab Police, busting a terror module of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) with arrest of former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode’s son, is second such case in which somebody close to Rode has been arrested be3fore polls and ISYF links have been claimed. Back in 2006, then Shiormani Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal had claimed threat to his life and even alleged that then CM Captain Amarinder Singh wanted to get him eliminated. He had even named Rode in the case but later the two grew closer.
On December 24, 2006, with a little over a month to go for the state assembly elections, Jalandhar police claimed that a three-member module of “newly initiated terrorists” was busted and explosives including 11kg of RDX, 11 detonators, 11 timer devices, four hand grenades, two batteries, two pistols with four magazines and 100 cartridges, 10 m wire and one walkie-talkie set were recovered from them. The accused included Jaswinder Singh, Amolak Singh, both relatives of Jasbir’s brother and ISYF chief Lakhbir Singh Rode, and UK national Paramjit Singh Dhadi.
Next day, the former Jathedar blamed Badal and two senior police officers “close” to him for hatching the conspiracy. He had pointed out that some years back police had claimed to have recovered 35kg RDX from Dhaadi but as he was exonerated from the case and it was never disclosed where the RDX actually came from.
On January 12, 2007, speaking to the media at Jalandhar, Badal alleged that CM Capt Amarinder Singh wanted to get him eliminated and the RDX plot was aimed at him. “Paramjit Singh Dhaadi was entrusted the job to kill me,” Badal had alleged, adding that Capt Amarinder, SAD 1920 president Ravi Inder Singh, former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode and central agencies were party to the conspiracy. He had claimed that the plan was to target moderate Akalis.
He had even claimed that the RDX was actually recovered from Jasbir’s car, a claim the former Jathedar rubbished. Ravi Inder ridiculed Badal’s allegations stating that if SAD 1920 were hand in glove with the ruling party then his men would not have been implicated.
The trial took place during Badal’s regime and the three were convicted in November 2008 and sentenced to five years prison by a Jalandhar court. However, none of the charges leveled by Badal against his political opponents were substantiated by the police in court.