Thirteen days after a grenade was thrown at Moga’s Sadar police station, the police arrested three persons who allegedly executed the crime, along with 14 others, including three women, belonging to the same module that was planning to bomb a Ferozepur–Jammu train, officials said on Tuesday.
Accused Gagan alias Kali, Rajesh alias Khanna and Shubham alias Bhinder, residents of Ferozepur, have been charged with executing the low-intensity explosion that took place at 3.15 am on July 8. No one was injured in the attack.
In a press statement, director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said a preliminary investigation revealed that Iqbal Singh alias Ravi Dhaliwal, based in the UK and allegedly involved in criminal activities, was the mastermind behind the twin conspiracy. The Moga police recovered an improvised explosive device (IED), along with other explosive material, an electronic detonator and one 9MM Glock pistol with a magazine that was assembled to launch attack on the train. A Splendor motorcycle (PB-03-AH-3088) used in committing the grenade attack at the police station has been seized.
Other accused who assisted in logistics, network expansion and harbouring the operatives have been identified as Lajjar alias Aman and his wife Parveen Kaur, both residents of Sia Paadi in Ferozepur; Swaran and Gobind of Kotwal in Ferozepur; Sagar and John of Lal Kurti Cantt in Ferozepur; Ruth, Raj and Sarabjit Kaur of Talwandi Nepala in Ferozepur; Gurpreet Singh, Rahul and Karandeep Singh of Ajitwal in Moga; Lovepreet of Dheru in Ferozepur; and Sukhwinder Kaur of Sherkhan in Ferozepur.
{{/usCountry}}Other accused who assisted in logistics, network expansion and harbouring the operatives have been identified as Lajjar alias Aman and his wife Parveen Kaur, both residents of Sia Paadi in Ferozepur; Swaran and Gobind of Kotwal in Ferozepur; Sagar and John of Lal Kurti Cantt in Ferozepur; Ruth, Raj and Sarabjit Kaur of Talwandi Nepala in Ferozepur; Gurpreet Singh, Rahul and Karandeep Singh of Ajitwal in Moga; Lovepreet of Dheru in Ferozepur; and Sukhwinder Kaur of Sherkhan in Ferozepur.
{{/usCountry}}Initially, the FIR was registered on July 8 under the Explosives Substances Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 109 (attempt to murder), 111 (organised crime) and 113 (terrorist act), were invoked later.
The DGP said further investigation is underway to uncover the entire network and identify others involved. Sharing further details, inspector general of police (IGP), Faridkot range, Nilambari Jagdale said that following the incident, 10 police teams were deployed to trace the perpetrators.
She said the police used technical and human-intelligence inputs to arrest the three accused for the grenade attack. It surfaced that their accomplices, Lajjar alias Aman and his wife Parveen Kaur, were in direct contact with their foreign handler Ravi Dhaliwal and were helping him arrange foot soldiers to execute the terror activities.
Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sartaj Singh Chahal said that further interrogation of Lajjar led to the arrest of the remaining 12 accused who were providing logistical support and harbouring the module members.