Four suspected Pakistan linked terrorists on their way to Adilabad in Telangana to deliver explosives were nabbed by police in Haryana’s Karnal on Thursday. The police recovered 3 improvised explosive device (IED) suspected of containing 2.5 kg of RDX, a pistol, and 31 rounds of live cartridges, along with rupees 1.3 lakhs from the vehicle they were travelling in.
The four accused who are all residents of Punjab were allegedly being handled by a Pakistan-based man named Harvinder Singh Rinda. Rinda is involved in supplying arms and drugs across border.
The four accused have been identified as Gurpreet Singh (main accused), Parminder Singh and Amandeep Singh from Ferozepur, and Bhupinder Singh from Ludhiana according to Superintendent of Police (SP), Karnal, Ganga Ram Punia.
Based on intelligence inputs of central agencies, the four accused were arrested near Bastara toll plaza in a joint operation carried out by the Haryana and Punjab police as per Haryana’s Director general of police (DGP) PK Agrawal.
“They were in touch with a Pakistan-based man Harvinder Singh Rinda, who is involved in terror activities. He sends locations through an app to them to deliver explosives and weapons. Rinda used to drop weapons and explosives at a pre-designated location in the fields in Ferozepur with the help of drones” Punia said.
Punia said that Gurpreet Singh (key accused) had met Rajbir Singh, an associate of Rinda, in jail. “We are ascertaining the terrorist outfit with which they were associated with.” he further added.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Rohtak, chief minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar said that investigations in the case were underway and the police is conducting an in depth probe.
“Preliminary investigations have revealed certain things, which we need to cross check and ascertain more categorically” DGP PK Agarwal told PTI.
When asked if the arms and ammunition they were transporting were dropped in the fields in Ferozepur in Punjab using a drone from Pakistan, the DGP said, “That is what they have told, but these details need to be verified and establish the veracity of these facts”.
After the vehicle was intercepted in Karnal, a bomb disposal squad and forensic experts reached the spot, the police added.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been set up by Haryana’s police to investigate the matter. A case under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Arms Act, and the Explosive Substance Act has been registered against the four accused.
(Edited by the Desk)
