Chandigarh: Punjab police claimed to have busted another Pakistan-trained module having links with Kashmiri terrorists with the arrest of three persons who were tasked to carry out attacks in the country.
The accused identified as Gurdial Singh of Road Majara in Garhshankar, Jagroop Singh of Chandpur Rurki in Nawanshahr and Satwinder Singh a Hindu Gujjar and belongs to Jagroop’s village. They were directly linked to the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), an ISI-backed outfit.
“They were trained by the ISI and tasked to carry out terror attacks and target various ‘anti-panthic and anti-Sikh forces/individuals’ by Pakistan-based ISYF chief Lakhbir Rode, and Harmeet Singh alias Happy alias PHD,” a Punjab police spokesperson said.
During the interrogation, the three claimed that many persons from the state were radicalised by Pakistan taking advantage of sacrilege incidents and Bargari police firing killings.
Last month two persons, Maan Singh and Sher Singh, had been arrested by the BSF when they were trying to pick up the consignment near the international border in Amritsar, which was supplied by the ISYF.
“Gurdial hails from Road Majara area of Hoshiarpur, and Jagroop and Satiwinder are residents of Chandpur Rurki Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar District. A .32 bore pistol, with one magazine and 10 cartridges and a .38 bore revolver, with 7 cartridges have also been recovered from them,” the Punjab Police spokesperson said.
The police said that Gurdial had been introduced to Rode, who they claimed was staying “in an ISI provided safe-house in the Lahore cantonment,” by Germany based Balvir Singh.
During his last visit to Pakistan in November 2016, Gurdial Singh arranged a Pakistan visa for Jagroop Singh to Pakistan as part of a Sikh Jatha.
The police said during his stay in Pakistan (November 12-21, 2016), Jagroop Singh was blindfolded and taken by Balvir Singh, Rode and Harmeet to an undisclosed location where he was trained by the ISI in handling AK-47 and other weapons. The training course carried on for four days. Jagroop was also trained in sabotaging railway tracks.
The trio has been booked under section 121,121A, 120B of the IPC, Sec 25,54 and 59 of the Arms Act and Sec 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Act, the police said.