CHANDIGARH: Punjab police would look into alleged links of the recently arrested notorious cheat Manjeet Singh Rattu with various terror outfits. Top brass of the police are of the view that Rattu had maintained close contacts with various Pakistan-based terrorist organisations since 1990.

Rattu was first arrested by Jalandhar Police in an abduction case where his links with the Khalistan Commando Force were revealed. “In 1992, Manjit was arrested by Jalandhar police headed by Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mustafa. During interrogation, Rattu had revealed his links of the KCF and the Babbar Khalsa terrorist group, operating from Pakistan,” said a senior Punjab police official.

“This time also he was arrested in cases of cheating and fraud. Jalandhar police have taken him on transit remand. The main focus of Punjab police is to trace out Rattu’s nexus with the terrorist sleeper cells operating in Punjab,” said the official, on condition of anonymity.

Punjab police was searching for him for the last six months following various arrests of terrorists and spies in 2010. More than a dozen of terrorists were apprehended from different regions of the State during the current year. In August this year, three Pakistani spies were arrested from Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Ferozepur. They had been living in the State for the past several years. After their arrest, the police officials had claimed that major terrorist activity could be possible in the State.

Punjab police is suspecting him to be a close aide of the terrorist sleeper cells. Sources revealed that after his release from jail, he visited Pakistan and met top terrorist leaders. He reportedly married a Pakistani woman after converting to Islam. In 2008, he was sent back to India and since then had been living in Jalandhar. Rattu has been accused of cheating a score of people on various counts including sending their wards abroad and had taken lakhs from them. His victims have requested Punjab DGP PS Gill to take Rattu on a transition remand and get their money back.

“Apart from cheating and frauds, he has been involved in terrorist activities here. His connections with the Babbar Khalsa have been ruled out,” said the police official.Rattu was arrested by Haryana police on December 16 and was sent on two days police remand by Chief Judicial Magistrate of Panchkula the next day. A Jalandhar court, where he was produced in connection with a fraud case on Sunday, extended his remand up to December 24.

It is said that Manjit is responsible for the blasts in Lahore and Multan in Pakistan for which Sarabjit Singh had been given death penalty. Manjit was reportedly in Pakistan at the time of the bomb blasts. Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh, has demanded a high-level investigation into the case and the release of Sarabjit Singh. Awais Sheikh, Pakistani lawyer of Sarabjit, has filed a mercy petition, seeking his pardon and release. The case is being investigated by intelligence agencies in Pakistan and India besides the police of Canada and US.