CHANDIGARH/JALANDHAR
The Punjab police have arrested notorious gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Baba a resident of village Aladinpur in Tarn Taran, who had planned target killings in the state.
Punjab police director general (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that the arrest of Happy Baba is a major blow to organized crime.
DGP said accused Happy Baba is facing several criminal cases of murder and attempt to murder. Police teams have also recovered one .30 bore automatic pistol along with a magazine and three live cartridges from his possession.
Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused is an operative of the most-wanted gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Jatt of Jandiala, who was hatching a conspiracy to execute target killings to disturb the peace and communal harmony in the border state of Punjab and assigned the former to accomplish this task instead of huge money.
“Accused Happy Baba is also one of the biggest weapon suppliers in Punjab, and was closely associated with weapon suppliers of Madhya Pradesh,” he said.
The development came 25 days after Counter Intelligence Jalandhar had arrested Vikramjit Singh alias Vicky Bhatti of Nanaksar Mohalla in Tarn Taran after recovering two pistols along with ammunition from his possession.
Sharing more details, AIG Counter Intelligence Jalandhar Navjot Singh Mahal said that during the questioning of accused Vicky Bhatti, it came to light that the Happy Jatt has assigned Happy Baba to carry out target killings in the state. Acting swiftly, the police teams have launched a vigorous operation and arrested the accused Happy Baba, he added.
He said that during questioning Happy Baba confessed his involvement in inter-state smuggling of illicit weapons after smuggling them from Madhya Pradesh and since 2020-21, he has sold at least 100 illicit weapons in Tarn Taran and Amritsar. Further investigations are on, he added.
He said a case under sections 25 and 25(8) of the Arms Act has been registered against the accused at Police Station State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) Amritsar.