AMRITSAR: The interrogation of two men, who were arrested in the Amritsar improvised explosive device (IED) seizure case, has revealed that Canada-based notorious gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, who is also prime accused in the Mohali rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the intelligence headquarters in May, was the kingpin of the module.
Harpal Singh, who is constable in Punjab Police, and Fatehdeep Singh of Sabran village falling under the Harike police station in Tarn Taran district were arrested on Wednesday from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, New Delhi. Their arrest came within 24 hours of the seizure of the RDX contained IED, weighing around 2.7 kg from the posh Ranjit Avenue area here on Tuesday. The IED was planted by two bike-borne men who had their faces covered under the SUV of sub-inspector Dilbagh Singh, who is posted at the crime investigation agency (CIA) wing of Amritsar commissionerate. The IED was detected by Dilbagh’s driver while cleaning the vehicle.
“Both the arrested accused are the henchmen of gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa. Both Harpal and Fatehdeep were paid ₹12 lakh for blowing up sub-inspector. We have recovered $4000 and ₹2.5 lakh Indian currency from the duo. We have also identified the two bike-borne men, who were tasked by the arrested men to plant the IED under the cop’s car. We can’t disclose their identity, for it will cause a hurdle for their arrest,” said a senior Punjab Police official while seeking anonymity.
“Both the accused were fleeing to Maldives and would take on arrival visas. They also had visas for Dubai, which was taken through a travel agent. However, they had taken Maldives’ tickets from the Delhi airport to hoodwink police,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Both the accused were fleeing to Maldives and would take on arrival visas. They also had visas for Dubai, which was taken through a travel agent. However, they had taken Maldives’ tickets from the Delhi airport to hoodwink police,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Commissioner of police (CP), Amritsar, Arun Pal confirmed that the arrested men had plan to go to Maldives, but didn’t divulge more details. On being asked why the sub-inspector (SI) was their target, he said, “Because the cop had done good work at the time of terrorism.”
The CP said, “The arrested men have also disclosed that many police officers are on the target of Landa, who has links with Pakistan’s ISI and some terror organisations. It is suspected that Landa had provided the explosive to the accused, which was smuggled from across the border.”
Landa, a resident of Harike Pattan village in Tarn Taran district, has been a pressing point for the Punjab police for the past 11 years. Landa, who fled to Canada in 2017, is a close aide of Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh, alias Rinda, and had joined hands with a pro-Khalaistan terror organisation Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
The first case was registered against Landa for murder bid and under the Arms Act at Harike Pattan in July 2011. He is facing 18 criminal cases, including of murder, attempt to murder and drugs smuggling, in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Moga and Ferozepur districts. Punjab Police had registered the last case against Landa under kidnapping charges in Moga in May 2016 before he fled to Canada.
He was also prime accused in the Patti double murder case in which Akali worker Aman Fauji and his friend were shot dead by gangster Daya Singh alias Preet Sekhon last year. Aman Fauji was a close friend of former minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon’s right hand Gurmukh Singh Ghulla. Last year, Landa had also threatened Punjab Police officials of ‘dire consequences’ through his Facebook account.