E-Paper
Drone arms dropping: NIA files charge-sheet against 9 members of KZF
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge-sheet against nine members of proscribed terrorist organisation, Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), in the
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge-sheet against nine members of proscribed terrorist organisation, Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), in the case of weapons being dropped by drones from Pakistan in Chola Sahib village in Tarn Taran in late September last year. The charge-sheet was filed before the NIA Special Court, Mohali and the case is likely to come up for hearing on April 4.
The charge-sheet has been filed against Akashdeep Singh alias Akash Sandhu, 21, of Tarn Taran; Balwant Singh, 48, of Tarn Taran; Harbhajan Singh, 65, of Tarn Taran; Balbir Singh, 70, of Hoshiarpur; Maan Singh, 43, in Gurdaspur; Gurdev Singh, 40, of Hoshiarpur; Shubhdeep Singh, 21, of Amritsar; Sajanpreet Singh, 22, of Amritsar and Romandeep Singh, 20, of Tarn Taran.
On February 22, the court had issued non-bailable warrants against two Khalistani terrorists, Ranjeet Singh Neeta and Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga, who are still at large.
Initially, the Punjab Operation Cell in Amritsar had registered the case based on information that Pakistan-based KZF chief Ranjeet Singh, alias Neeta, in connivance with Gurmeet Singh, alias Bagga, had smuggled a consignment of arms, ammunition, explosives and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) into the Indian territory via drones originating from across the border in Pakistan. The consignments were received by their associates, Akashdeep Singh, Balwant Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Balbir Singh and Subhdeep Singh based in India, to revive terrorism in the state, it was suspected. They were preparing to execute a huge terrorist incident to create an atmosphere of disharmony, communal tension and instability in Punjab and other states of India.
Subsequently, the accused Akashdeep, Balwant, Balbir and Harbhajan were arrested at Chohla Sahib on September 22, 2019, with a huge cache of arms, ammunition, explosives, communication devices and FICN.
NIA investigation revealed that Akashdeep had been recruited into the KZF by accused Maan Singh and Gurdev Singh and the conspiracy was hatched in Amritsar Central Jail during 2018-2019, when all three were in judicial custody in other crimes. Investigation has also revealed the consignments were sent through a total of eight sorties of drones on five days in August and September 2019. The consignments were received by Akashdeep, Subhdeep, Sajanpreet and Romandeep.
