BKI terrorist with ISI links arrested in Uttar Pradesh

A terrorist of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) with alleged links to Pakistan’s ISI was arrested from Kaushambi district in the early hours of Thursday in a joint operation by Uttar Pradesh special task force (STF) and Punjab Police, an official said

LUCKNOW : A terrorist of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) with alleged links to Pakistan’s ISI was arrested from Kaushambi district in the early hours of Thursday in a joint operation by Uttar Pradesh special task force (STF) and Punjab Police, an official said.

A terrorist of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) with alleged links to Pakistan’s ISI was arrested from Kaushambi district in the early hours of Thursday in a joint operation by Uttar Pradesh special task force (STF) and Punjab Police, an official said.

The suspected terrorist, Lajar Masih, a resident of Kurlian village in Ramdas area of Amritsar, was nabbed around 3.20 am. The operation was carried out in the Kokhraj police station area of Kaushambi, additional director general of police (UP special task force, law and order) Amitabh Yash said.

“According to information, the arrested terrorist works for Swarn Singh alias Jeevan Fauji, the head of the Germany-based module of Babbar Khalsa International and is in direct touch with Pakistan-based ISI operatives,” Yash said.

The police claimed Masih was planning to carry out some major blast during recently concluded Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. The police showed the recovery of three hand grenades, two gelatine rods, two detonators, a USSR-made pistol and its 13 cartridges as well as his forged Aadhaar card prepared on a fake address of Ghaziabad and one mobile phone.

Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav said Masih is a key associate of Germany-based BKI operative Swaran Singh and was in direct contact with Pakistan’s ISI. The DGP said that Masih is wanted in multiple criminal cases in Punjab. The apprehended terrorist has been kept at Kokhraj police station in Kaushambi distrcit of Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Prashant Kumar said the terror suspect had escaped from Punjab Police custody in September 2024. Masih was in direct touch with multiple handlers operating from Pakistan and other nations and was planning to carry out his nefarious activities during Mahakumbh. However, his plans were foiled due to police alertness during the mega event, he added.

Kumar said the suspect had also applied for a passport on fake address of Ghaziabad and had plans to flee to Portugal after executing his plans in Prayagraj.

He said the suspect was traced while developing intelligence inputs collected during alertness after receiving threat from secessionist group Sikh for Justice’s legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who operates from New York, US, to target Mahakumbh to avenge the gunning down of three pro-Khalistan operatives by the state police in a joint operation with Punjab Police in Pilibhit’s Pooranpur on December 23, 2024.

A huge cache of arms and ammunitions was recovered from the killed Khalistani operatives. He said the three slain Khalistani operatives were allegedly involved in an attack in police outposts in Punjab with hand grenades in December 2024.

Kumar said Masih provided hand grenades to them on the direction of the BKI’s Germany-based module head Swarn Singh alias Jeevan Fauji, who had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Additional director general (ADG), law and order, Amitabh Yash, said Maish is originally a Sikh but his parents had embraced Christianity.

He said Masih was arrested and stayed in jail in connection with smuggling of firearms and heroin from across Pakistan border and was injured during a gang war in Amritsar jail. “Masih later escaped from police custody on September 24, 2024, when he was being treated for his injuries at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar and he had shot one person for extortion in Batala, at the behest of Swarn Singh, on October 23, 2024, after escaping from police custody, the ADG said.

“He came in touch with ISI through a criminal lodged in Muktsar jail during a court hearing in Batala court and got engaged into smuggling heroin and firearms from across border using drones,” the ADG said.

The suspect would be further taken on police remand to interrogate him thoroughly to explore the terror network across the country, he said, adding Masih had been sent to jail after registering an FIR under relevant sections of the Arms Act and other anti-terror provisions against him.