Punjab: Terror module busted, two held along Indo-Pak border

Suspected Khalistani terrorists say their module was raised and indoctrinated by an Ontario-based Sikh hardliner Gurjivan Singh

In a joint operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police busted a terror module with links to Canada and Pakistan after arresting two suspected Khalistani terrorists from the border region in Ajnala.

On interrogation, the BSF and police recovered four pistols (7.62mm) with nine magazines, one 9mm pistol with two magazines, an AK-47 assault rifle with three magazines, a modified rifle with two magazines, five hand grenades and over 450 rounds of ammunition of different calibre buried close to the Indo-Pak border. (HT Photo)

“Those arrested have been identified as Mann Singh from Sri Hargobindpur in Gurdaspur district and Sher Singh from Kartarpur in Jalandhar. They had come to collect the consignment of arms on the instructions of Canada-based terrorist Gurjivan Singh Kadiyan, said BSF officiating DIG, Gurdaspur sector, Gurpal Singh and senior superintendent of police (SSP), Amritsar (rural), J Elanchezian.

On interrogation, the BSF and police recovered four pistols (7.62mm) with nine magazines, one 9mm pistol with two magazines, an AK-47 assault rifle with three magazines, a modified rifle with two magazines, five hand grenades and over 450 rounds of ammunition of different calibre buried close to the Indo-Pak border. This ammunition was smuggled from Pakistan and was to be further used for terror activities in Punjab.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspects said their module was raised and indoctrinated by an Ontario- based Sikh hardliner Gurjivan Singh, who had made two trips to Punjab in the past six months, and arranged the arms and ammunitions for their operations through his Khalistani contacts in Pakistan. He was also in touch with them for the past two years, and had motivated them to commit terror strikes in Punjab, the officials said.

After getting the location from the suspects, the BSF troops, along with the police, reached the Ravi river gap and a specific point where ammunition and arms were hidden, they said. Their aim was to revive terrorism in the state by recruiting new members, said the officials.

The suspects revealed that Gurjivan had imparted them theoretical training in handling arms, including AK-47 rifles. They also told the interrogators that they had travelled with Gurjivan to Uttar Pradesh to procure arms but had been unsuccessful. Subsequently, Gurjivan had promised to arrange the arms and ammunition through his Pak-based Khalistani contacts.

During interrogation, Mann Singh also confessed to having made several visits to Pakistan and to being in touch with some Khalistani activists there.

The suspects are being interrogated and their immigration records are being retrieved to track Gurjivan’s movements, the officers added.