Terrorists who committed heinous crimes in Punjab during the height of militancy and are now hiding in Pakistan can return to India to surrender before the authorities, state Director General of Police P S Gill said Wednesday.
Terrorists like Ranjit Singh Neeta, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Wadhawa Singh Babbar and others, hiding in Pakistan and other countries, could return to India and surrender, he told reporters here.
But, this should be in accordance with the existing policies of the Centre and the state government, the DGP said.
The surrender of militants had happened many times in the past and the same process could be followed now, he said.
To a question, the DGP said he did not foresee revival of terrorism in Punjab, adding no naxal elements or terrorists are present in Punjab now.
There are some "sleeping naxal elements" in Punjab but these are harmless, he said adding the police are keeping a vigil on them.
Gill said in 1969, naxals were crushed by the Punjab Police and "they can't dare to raise their heads again in the state".
On killing of two Punjab Police personnel and an equal number militants in a gunbattle last month in border district of Gurdaspur, he said the entire area was searched thoroughly after the gunfight.
"No militant is present or hiding there," Gill said.
He said the two slain militants had come to India from Pakistan via Jammu and Kashmir and were yet to be identified.
Gill said some mischievous elements were behind the low-intensity blast in Amritsar recently and they would be arrested soon.
On infiltration and smuggling of drugs from across the border, the DGP attributed this to the porous border.
He said the Border Security Force (BSF) had heightened vigil along the border to curb such activities.