Pathankot raid: NIA searches SP's office, home in Amritsar

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted searches at six locations, including office and residences of Punjab Police officer Salwinder Singh, in connection with the probe into Pathankot terror strike.

Officials said Singh’s residences in Amritsar and Gurdaspur and his Gurdaspur office were among the places searched.  The residence of his jeweller-friend Rajesh Verma, who was abducted along with him, as well as premises of Singh’s cook Madan Gopal and the officer’s female friend were also searched.

Sources said the NIA team approached local police for assistance to carry out the searches. Investigators are not convinced about Singh’s version that he was abducted by terrorists who carried out the Pathankot air base attack and later released. They suspect Singh is part of a smugglers’ network and inadvertently helped terrorists enter India without knowing their real intentions.

The searches came a day after the conclusion of Singh’s lie detector test in Delhi. Singh will now be subjected to behavioural tests. Singh, at present Assistant Commandant of 75th Punjab Armed Police, will be presented before a group of scientists as early as possible.

The panel will have a “behavioural analyst” and “psychoanalysts”, who will give a scientific assessment of his personality.

Security review

In the wake of the recent attack on an IAF base at Pathankot, a committee is being set up by the government to review security at defence bases in the country based on the “risk factor”.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar while giving this information on Thursday said the government has also asked the officers commanding the bases to do a thorough security assessment and fix any loopholes.

Parrikar, who was speaking to reporters during his visit to the NCC Republic Day Camp here, declined to give details about the likely composition of the committee but said a notification in this regard should be out in two to four days.