Mohali CIA police busted a terrorist module of the banned pro-Khalistan group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and arrested its three operatives who were tasked with targeted killings of prominent people in the state.
One of their accomplices was arrested by Fazilka Police on Thursday from Delhi Airport.
Police recovered a total of six sophisticated weapons including Chinese mousers and Turkish pistols, besides 275 live cartridges from the accused, which they had procured through drones from across the international border with Pakistan border near Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur.
Police recovered three 9mm Zigana pistols and three .30 bore pistols from their possession, besides 30 cartridges of 9mm pistol, 195 cartridges of .30 bore pistol and 50 cartridges of .32 bore pistol.
The accused, according to the Punjab Police, were planning to strike in Amritsar and other major cities of Punjab for which they procured the weapons through drones across the border.
Mohali CIA team led by DSP Gursher Singh Sandhu and inspector Shiv Kumar arrested Shakeel Ahmad alias Ladi Gujjar (24), Lovepreet Singh alias Lambu alias Sandhu (21), Sarup Singh alias Roop alias Kulla (26), while Nirvair Singh alias Sejahpreet Singh alias Sunny was held by Fazilka police.
All four accused are natives of the Gurdaspur district in Punjab and were operating following the directions of Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Rinda. They were also in touch with USA-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy, who is a native of Amritsar and Nishan Singh of Gurdaspur, who is currently suspected to be residing in the United Kingdom (UK).
{{/usCountry}}All four accused are natives of the Gurdaspur district in Punjab and were operating following the directions of Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Rinda. They were also in touch with USA-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy, who is a native of Amritsar and Nishan Singh of Gurdaspur, who is currently suspected to be residing in the United Kingdom (UK).
{{/usCountry}}“Mohali Police initially arrested Shakeel Ahmad from Kharar on October 21, following which Lovepreet and Sarup were nabbed following his disclosure from their hometown on Friday. Nirvair was arrested from Delhi airport on Thursday as his LOC was already issued. Mohali police fortunately arrested the module timely or else they would have led to unrest in Punjab or would have eliminated prominent persons creating major law and order problem in the state with a huge cache of arms and ammunition with them”, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, inspector general of police (IGP), said adding that all the concerned agencies including BSF have been alerted.
The accused, according to the police, met through their handlers sitting abroad.
“We will soon arrest their accomplices who were assisting them in executing their task. We will also check their financial backup. We are continuously doing multiple CASO operations and special operations to nab such anti-social elements to maintain peace in the state besides keeping an eye on those released on bail”, IGP Bhullar added.
All the accused have been booked under sections 121 (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), 153 (provocation to cause offence of rioting), 120-b (criminal conspiracy) of Indian penal Code (IPC) and under relevant sections of Arms Act and Unlawful Activity (Prevention) Act (UAPA) by Balongi police.
According to the Mohali police, Shakeel was earlier booked for trespassing and burglary by Pathankot police; Lovepreet was booked in murder and under the Arms Act by Gurdaspur police; Sarup was booked in four cases including theft and burglary by Punjab police and Nirvair was booked under Arms Act by Fazilka police.