E-Paper
KLF’s targeted killing module busted, Patiala jail escapee among 4 held
Police claimed to have busted a targeted killing module run by Germany-based radicals associated with the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and arrested four persons, including a murder case undertrial who escaped from the Patiala jail in April, following an exchange of fire in Ludhiana district’s Khanna late Monday
Police claimed to have busted a targeted killing module run by Germany-based radicals associated with the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and arrested four persons, including a murder case undertrial who escaped from the Patiala jail in April, following an exchange of fire in Ludhiana district’s Khanna late Monday.
Those arrested are Jaspreet Singh Noopi, the jailbreak escapee and a resident of Dadi village in Rupnagar district, Jaswinder Singh of Fatehpur Bunga village of Rupnagar, Gaurav Jain, alias Minku of Kaliawala village in Haryana’s Sirsa district and Prashant Silelan, alias Kabir of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.
The police have recovered two .32 bore pistols along with four magazines, a country-made weapon and a Toyota Etios car which the accused had robbed from Mohali a few days ago.
Jaspreet, who is facing trial in 7 cases, including that of murder and attempt to murder, was dismissed from the army.
Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gursharandeep Singh Grewal said a checkpoint was set up near Pristine Mall on the national highway. The police team stopped the Etios (bearing number PB-01-AS-6845) for checking.
“The three occupants of the car opened fire on the police party in an attempt to escape. The police arrested Jaswinder and Gaurav on the spot, while Jaspreet managed to flee. The police formed special teams to arrest him. Hours later, he was arrested along with his Prashant,” the SSp added.
A case under sections 307, 332, 336 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered against the accused at the Khanna (city-2) police station.
Grewal said on June 25 Jaspreet had robbed a commuter of the Toyota Etios on Airport Road in Zirakpur, Mohali, at gunpoint. “Jaspreet revealed that he was lodged in the Patiala jail in a murder case registered against him at Kiratpur. He escaped from the Patiala jail on April 28 along with two other inmates Sher Singh of Lopoke village of Amritsar and Inderjit Singh, alias Dhiana of Ranipur Komboa village of Kapurthala. On July 3, he along with his accomplices also looted ₹50,000 from a petrol pump employee at Kharar. He came in contact with foreign-based radicals and they agreed to finance him in return for targeted killings. He even did recce on some people in Punjab,” said the SSP.
His Germany-based handlers financed him through international payment platforms like Western Union and PayTm and sourced the weapons from Rudrapur in Uttarakhand for targetted killings.
Jaswinder is also facing trial in a liquor smuggling case.
