Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
In a dramatic turn of events, police shot and injured Sarabjit Singh, the prime accused in the sensational murder of Dera Kar Seva chief Baba Tarsem Singh, while bringing him back to Uttarakhand after his arrest from Punjab. The encounter unfolded late Wednesday night near Kashipur when a police vehicle overturned following a tyre burst, allowing the accused to escape. Sarabjit, who had been on the run for nearly a year, fired at the police team in an attempt to flee but was eventually shot in both knees in retaliatory fire.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manikant Mishra, the incident occurred between Dhela Bridge and Banskheda around 10 PM. As the police convoy transported Sarabjit to Rudrapur, the tubeless tyre of one of the vehicles burst, causing it to go out of control and overturn. Taking advantage of the chaos, Sarabjit snatched a pistol from a policeman and bolted into a nearby wheat field. He opened fire, injuring Constable Shubham Saini in the left arm. In response, the police fired back, hitting Sarabjit in both knees. He was immediately captured and rushed to the government hospital in Kashipur for treatment. CO Deepak Singh was present at the scene with the police team.
Sarabjit, who had a bounty of ₹2 lakh on his head, had managed to evade the authorities multiple times by frequently changing locations. The police had been tracking him for months, gathering intelligence on his movements. “We received concrete information that he was hiding in Tarn Taran, Punjab,” said SSP Mishra. “A team was dispatched under the leadership of the Nanakmatta SHO, and after extensive surveillance, he was arrested late Tuesday night.”
The murder of Baba Tarsem Singh on March 28, 2024, in Nanakmatta had sent shockwaves across the state. Following the killing, Sarabjit and his accomplice, Amarjit Singh alias Bittu, fled on a motorcycle. While Bittu was shot dead in an encounter in Haridwar in April 2024, Sarabjit remained underground, continuously shifting locations to evade arrest. The Uttarakhand Police and the Special Task Force (STF) searched for him across multiple states, including Punjab, Haryana, and East Delhi. His residence in Tarn Taran was raided multiple times, but he managed to escape before the police could catch him.
The investigation took a new turn when intelligence agencies intercepted social media activity linked to Sarabjit. Shortly after the murder, a post from a social media account under the name ‘Sarabjit Singh Mian Wind’ surfaced, claiming responsibility for the killing and stating that he would surrender at Akal Takht Sahib. The post’s location showed Dhaka, Bangladesh, raising suspicions that someone else might have been handling his account to mislead authorities. “We were constantly monitoring his digital footprint,” said an officer involved in the case. “Despite his efforts to misguide the police through fake locations, we never lost track.”
Nine people have been arrested so far in connection with the murder conspiracy. Among the key conspirators named in the case are Baba Anoop Singh, former Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee president Harbans Singh Chugh, and Pritam Singh Sandhu of the Tarai Mahasabha. However, Baba Anoop Singh remains at large. As soon as the murder was reported, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had personally visited Nanakmatta and instructed senior officials to ensure the swift arrest of the accused. Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar also inspected the crime scene, emphasizing the need for immediate action.
“This was a challenging case, and our teams worked tirelessly to track down Sarabjit,” said SSP Mishra. “We had to adopt multiple strategies, including undercover operations in Tarn Taran, where officers disguised themselves to gather intelligence. The final operation took over two months, and after three days of camping in Punjab, our team raided a house and apprehended him.”
With Sarabjit now in custody, the police believe they are close to unearthing further details about the conspiracy behind Baba Tarsem Singh’s murder. His arrest is expected to provide crucial leads in the case and may result in the apprehension of more suspects involved in the crime.
