From Dawood’s shooters to Maosist circles and from assassination plots to communal terror, this Singham of Madhya Pradesh police has seen it all. In his 12-year career, IPS Amit Singh has led teams that scuttled an assassination bid planned by mafia don Dawood Ibrahim’s gang on BJP MP Varun Gandhi and busted an inter-state smuggling ring that cannibalised AK-47 assault rifles, besides cracking the first module of the al-Sufa terror group.
This is the story of the 2009 batch officer who is currently the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Narcotics) at Bhopal headquarters and continues his mission against terrorism in all forms.
AK-47 RACKET
In this arms case that involved an Ordnance factory employee, Maoists and the NIA, Mr. Singh got the kingpin’s strategy. A former army personnel Suresh and retired army armourer Purushottam collaborated to create cannibalised AK-47 weapons from inoperable guns back in 2018.
Purushottam knew where unserviceable firearms were dumped in a Jabalpur depot. Along with Suresh, it was a lucrative business. Suresh received Rs 1 lakh per weapon he turned over to Purushottam. Purushottam extracted working parts of the rifles and cannibalised the AK-47s. He could easily make 3-4 fully functional firearms from 6-7 unserviceable ones, the officer explained. The weapons were mostly sold to Bihar and UP criminals for Rs 5 lakh each.
“The depot was easily accessible, which the two took advantage of,” he said. He arrested them after cracking Purushottam’s strategy: who always booked AC 2 tickets but never boarded from Jabalpur to evade the baggage scanner. Instead, he took the train from Katni and supplied the weapons. Suresh was court-martialled by the army and was booked by MP Police.
CRACKING AL-SUFA
Mr. Singh oversaw an inquiry into the 2017 murder of Tarun Sakla, a Bajrang Dal member. During the probe, he came across the al-Sufa group involved in anti-national acts and spreading Islamic terrorism. “Their goal was to target festivals and kill Hindus. They allegedly tracked and murdered activists of Hindu groups which also resulted in Sakla’s death.”
The officer apprehended and arrested al Sufa members involved in the Sakla’s murder, changing the complexion of communal rioting and ending Islamic terrorism in Ratlam.
MENACE TO D-COMPANY
While Mr. Singh was Khargone SP, the CM got information about an intended assassination bid on Varun Gandhi. Interrogation revealed that the supplier was Lakhan Fauzi from the Bhogawa district. Fauzi, a former BSF member, engaged the Sikligar group and taught them how to build an organised means of transferring illegal weapons across the country.
Mr. Singh’s team apprehended Fauzi. He cracked open the Sikligar community’s layered involvement. “I understood that they worked in layers with many manufacturers, dealers, and suppliers. Human couriers, typically teenagers working for money, delivered the arms to the buyer,” Mr. Singh shared in an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds.
The majority of the transactions took place at bus or railway stations’ tea stalls, and the money was sent to the suppliers’ accounts. His capture marked a watershed moment in the country’s arms-smuggling network.
Through his fearless and relentless efforts, Mr. Singh has made a name for himself in the police force. His successful operations have struck fear in the hearts of smugglers, making them think twice before indulging in illegal activities. He is a shining example of how the police force can effectively tackle the menace of smuggling and make the country a safer place for all its citizens.
