Khalistani chief 'was in contact with Pak-based terror outfits'

Chandigarh: Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Singh Mintoo, who had escaped from Nabha jail in Punjab along with five other inmates on Sunday and was arrested by Delhi police from Nizamuddin railway station, was in touch with terror groups in Pakistan, Punjab police said on Monday.

"Mintoo was in touch with associates of terror groups in Pakistan," Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora said this evening.

The dreaded terrorist would be subjected to "intensive interrogation" when he would be brought from Delhi, the DGP said.

"We will put him to intensive interrogation after we bring him to Punjab," he further said.

On Sunday, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had voiced apprehension that Pakistan could be behind the sensational Nabha jailbreak, saying the neighbouring country was "desperate to revive terrorism" after Indian army conducted the surgical strike across the LoC.

"Pak desperate to revive terror post surgical strike. Could be behind jail break," Sukhbir had tweeted.

Mintoo, who was wanted in ten terror offences, was arrested by Punjab Police after he was deported from Thailand in November 2014.

DGP further said that Parminder Singh Pinda would also be questioned when he would be brought to the state.

Pinda was arrested Sunday evening from Kairana in Uttar Pradeshs Shamli district by UP Police.

In a sensational jailbreak, Mintoo on Sunday escaped along with five other prisoners after armed men in police uniform stormed the high-security Nabha prison in Patiala. He was nabbed from Nizamuddin railway station in Delhi on Monday.