Punjab police on Sunday claimed to have busted a terror module by arresting three men, allegedly trained and tasked by Pakistan’s spy agency, ISI, to launch attacks in India.
The module has direct links with ISI-backed banned terror outfit, International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), claimed the police.
The arrested men — Gurdial Singh, Jagroop Singh and Satwinder Singh, had been trained and tasked by the ISI to carry out terror attacks and target various “anti-panthic and anti-Sikh forces and individuals” by Pakistan-based ISYF chief lakhbir Singh Rode, and Harmeet Singh alias Happy alias PHD.
The terrorists were nabbed after a meticulous intelligence-led operation of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district police. They have been booked under Sections 121, 121A, 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act and Sections 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Act, vide FIR No 28, said the police, adding that further investigations were in progress.
Police claimed that preliminary investigations have also revealed that a part of the consignment of arms and ammunition seized by the BSF, close to the international border in Amritsar on May 21, was supplied by ISYF.
Two terrorists, Maan Singh and Sher Singh, had been arrested by the BSF last month while they were attempting to pick up the consignment.
Gurdial Singh hails from Hoshiarpur and Jagroop Singh and Satiwinder Singh belong to Nawanshahr. A .32 bore pistol, one magazine and 10 cartridges and a .38 bore revolver, with 7 cartridges, were seized from them.
While Gurdial and Jagroop were arrested from their homes, Satwinder was apprehended at a police checkpoint close to his village Pojewal near Balachaur.
Police said Gurdial was the chief operative of this module and was introduced to lakhbir Singh Rode by Balvir Singh Sandhu who is based in Germany. Gurdial had met Rode, who is said to be staying in an ISI safe house in lahore cantonment, several times during his visits to Pakistan as part of religious jathas (groups) in the last six-seven years.
During his last visit to Pakistan in November 2016, Gurdial had arranged a visa for Jagroop Singh and he had travelled to lahore with a jatha.
Jagroop met Rode and Harmeet through Balvir, said Police, claiming that he confessed that he was taken to the ISYF chief blindfolded at an undisclosed location and imparted a four-day training course by the ISI in handing an AK-47 rifle and smaller weapons.
Police maintained that both Gurdial and Jagroop were tasked to carry out terrorist attacks in India and also motivated to target various ‘anti-panthic and anti-Sikh forces or individuals’. lakhbir Rode and his associates had promised to provide them arms and ammunition across the border in India.
The interrogation of the suspects has also revealed that during his visits to Pakistan, Gurdial was in regular touch with Balvir who originally hails from Paddi Surat Singh village in Hoshiarpur. Gurdial was also allegedly in touch with some militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
Police said that Satwinder was also an active member of this ‘action group’ and, along with Jagroop, he was directly in touch with his mentors in Pakistan and Germany. Both Gurdial and Balvir have terrorist backgrounds, with criminal cases registered against them in 1992 and 1988. A Thompson gun had been recovered from Gurdial in 1992.