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Punjab: Cops raid 297 hideouts linked to terrorist Landa’s associates
Punjab Police on Sunday launched a special cordon and search operation at suspected hideouts of persons linked with pro-Khalistan terrorist Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa
Chandigarh : Punjab Police on Sunday launched a special cordon and search operation at suspected hideouts of persons linked with pro-Khalistan terrorist Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa.
The gangster-turned-terrorist, who as per reports has been living in Canada since 2017, has been named as the mastermind in several cases of terrorism, including the 2022 RPG attacks on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali, and the Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran, among other cases of terror attacks in India.
The simultaneous raids were conducted from 6am to 10am on the directions of director general of police Gaurav Yadav wherein all the residential and other premises linked with at least 297 close associates of Landa were searched in all the 28 police districts in the state, according to an official release.
Special DGP, law and order, Arpit Shukla, said all the commissioners and senior superintendents of police were directed to depute police parties led by an inspector or sub-inspector-rank officer. Police teams were also asked to round up suspicious persons during the operation, he said.
He said as many as 150 parties of the state police, involving at least 1,200 personnel, carried out the raids. The operation was planned after the questioning of several persons in the recently busted modules backed by Landa, he added.
Several persons have been detained for further verification and incriminating material has been seized from their possession, which is being further examined.
The police teams have also checked arms licences and questioned people about the sourcing of ammunition, besides, gathering travel details of foreign-based family members, bank transactions from abroad, and property details for further examination.
