The Delhi Police has arrested two suspected members of banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International following a brief exchange of fire in northwest Delhi. Police said that they are hardcore supporters of Khalistan movement and were planning to execute targeted killings in various States of northern India on the directions of Pakistan’s ISI sponsored Khalistani leaders.

The accused have been identified as Bhupender alias Dilawar Singh (41) and Kulwant Singh (39), both residents of Ludhiana in Punjab. Police said that the duo was also wanted in some cases in Punjab.

According to Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Special Cell, Bhupender is a member of two pro Pakistan related Public groups; “Pakistan Zindabad KhalistanZindabad”, and “Defenders of Pakistan”.

“Two letters of Babbar Khalsa International remembering and praising Dilawar Singh Babbar have also been recovered from his mobile phone. Bhupender is very active on Facebook and shared high radical contents and videos related to Khalistan and (SYL) issue on his social media account,” said the DCP.

“The special cell of Delhi Police nabbed Bhupender and his associate Kulwant  on Saturday night after they received specific inputs that the duo had come to Delhi in a car to receive huge cache of arms and ammunition to execute the conspiracy. Police teams laid a trap near an underpass on Burari to Majlis Park road. On Saturday, around 11pm, when the duo was spotted in their vehicle, they were overpowered by after a brief exchange of fire,” said the DCP.

“Police also recovered seven pistols with 45 cartridges from the possession of the accused. Two Android phones containing many incriminating videos and photographs related to Khalistani movement and their propagators were also recovered,” said the DCP.

“During interrogation, Bhupinder Singh told police that in 2016, he went to Saudi Arabia to work as a driver but for nearly eight months, when he did not find any job, he started spending more time on Facebook where he came in contact of several Khalistani activists and later joined their movement,” said the DCP.

“Through Facebook, he came in contact with Harbinder Singh, Amritpal Kaur, Randeep Singh and Jarnail Singh who were arrested by Punjab Police in 2017 for being members of banned terror group Babbar Khalsa International, and was allegedly being financed by Khalistan sympathizers in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UK. They had formed a group, “Khalistan Zindabad”, and were planning to raise a new militant outfit, “Jatha Veer Khalsa”, on the anniversary of Operation Bluestar. They planned to kill senior leaders who were involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases,” said the DCP.

“Bhupinder Singh told police that he was inspired by the Dilawar Singh Babbar who assassinated Beant Singh so he adopted alias name as Dilawar Singh. He revealed that he has strong feeling for the Kaum and has enmity towards people speaking against sikh gurus and religion and identified three such persons,” said the DCP.

“Bhupinder has also strong objection against SYL ( Satluj Yamuna Link) Canal and is ready to take life of engineers working on the project. Recently he along with his associate Kulwant Singh hoisted saffron flag (with Insignia) on a water tank and office of Tehsil in Raikot,” said the DCP.

“Bhupinder confessed to have relation with all factions of Khalistan extremists,” said the DCP.