Punjab: Ahead of I-Day, terror module busted in Tarn Taran, three held

Police said the accused were associates of Czech Republic-based Gurdev Singh Jaisel, a key operative of Canada-based terrorists Lakhbir Singh and Satbir Singh.

Ahead of Independence Day, Punjab Police busted a terror module with the arrest of three persons from Tarn Taran. The police also recovered three pistols from the accused.

Besides three pistols, the police teams have also recovered ₹37,500 from their possession. (HT photo)

Police said the accused were associates of Czech Republic-based Gurdev Singh Jaisel, a key operative of Canada-based terrorists Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa, and Satbir Singh, alias Satta.

Both Landa and Satta have been facing several criminal cases, including smuggling of drugs, arms and explosives from across the border using drones. They are wanted in the RPG attacks at the Sarhli police station and Punjab Police’s intelligence headquarters in Mohali. They are also accused of hatching conspiracies for several targeted killings, the police said.

Those arrested have been identified as Ashmpreet Singh of Noordi in Tarn Taran, Pardeep Singh and Sukhman, both residents of Sheron in Sarhali, Tarn Taran. Besides three pistols, the police teams have also recovered ₹37,500 from their possession.

Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that following reliable inputs that Jaisel has been developing a new module to carry out terror activities in the Majha area, the Tarn Taran police, in a joint operation with the counter-intelligence wing, arrested the trio from Tarn Taran, when they were hatching a conspiracy to commit a crime.

Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said that Jaisel was in touch with module members from Czechia. He used to give instructions over phone to carry out terror activities and target killings to disrupt peace and harmony in the state, the SSP added.

The arrested accused also confessed to having picked up weapons and money for terror funding to deliver them to different persons on the directions of Jaisel, he said, adding that further investigation is being carried out to unearth the backward and forward linkages.

A under Sections 384, 385,386, 387, 115 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 25 (6) and 27 (7) of the Arms Act, Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 18-B, 20 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act and Section 66 of the IT Act has been registered at the Sarhali police station.

Mastermind of Sarhali RPG attack

A close associate of Canada-based terrorists Lakhbir Singh Landa and Satbir Singh Satta, Czechia–based Gurdev Singh Jaisel is one of the masterminds of the RPG attack at Sarhali Kalan police station in Tarn Taran district in December 2022. He fled to Dubai in 2022 and later moved to Europe using illegal means, officials familiar with the development said. He has been facilitating terrorists Lakhbir Landa and Satbir Satta to carry out terror activities in Punjab with the help of his associates.

According to counter-intelligence reports, when Jaisel was in India, he retrieved consignments consisting of firearms, IEDs, AK-47 rifle and narcotics at the behest of Landa.