CHANDIGARH /JALANDHAR
The Punjab police have averted possible target killings in the state with the arrest of two members of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)-backed terror module, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday. The module is being operated by USA-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passian — a close aide of designated terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, along with his associate identified as Shamsher Singh alias Shera presently based in Armenia.
Those arrested have been identified as Kuldeep Singh alias Ghugg a resident of Beettal Jhugian village and Avtar Singh alias Laddi of Sango Wal village under Mehat Pur police station in Jalandhar.
Police teams have also recovered two .32 bore pistols along with four magazines and 30 live cartridges from their possession, besides impounding a Splendour motorcycle (PB08 FE 3940) on which they were traveling.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations suggested that Happy Passian and Shamsher Shera were working in connivance with terrorist Harwinder Rinda to radicalize the youth by motivating them to carry out anti-national activities in the state. The probe has also revealed that the arrested accused persons were tasked to carry out target killings in the state to create panic in the society, he added.
He said that the Police have invoked sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and further investigations are on.
, AIG Counter Intelligence Jalandhar Navjot Singh Mahal said that following intel inputs that members of the BKI module were hatching a conspiracy to carry out target killings, Police teams from CI Jalandhar launched a special operation and arrested both the accused persons at Special Naka installed in the area of Mehatpur.
A case under sections 10, 13, 17, 18, 18-B, and 20 of the UAPA, sections 25 and 25 (7) of the Arms Act, and sections 115 (abetment of offense)and 120-B(criminal conspiracy )of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against the accused at Police Station State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar.