In a major breakthrough into the Nabha jail attack in Punjab on Sunday morning after which six Khalistani terrorist had escaped, the Uttar Pradesh police succeeded in arresting the prime conspirator Parminder alias Pammi from Kairana police station in Shamli district of western UP on Sunday evening.
Parminder was the kingpin and brain behind the attack this morning at the Nabha jail in Punjab. He along with Prema, Harry, Gurmeet Shekho and his two brothers was involved in the crime.
Additional Director General of Police (law and Order) Daljeet Choudhury informed that Parminder was arrested along with the SUV Toyota Fortuner which was used in the attack from Kairana area of Shamli district during intensive checking.
Choudhury said Parminder, during interrogation, disclosed to the police teams about the involvement of Prema, Harry, Gurmeet Shekho and his two brothers in the crime. He said the police recovered one SlR, three rifles and huge cache of cartridges which was stacked in the vehicle seized from the miscreant.
The ADG also said that they are investigating whether there is an involvement of Pakistan ISI in the attack of not. Police sources said though the other his aides are yet to be arrested along with the escaped terrorists, there was a report that they could be in Panipat or Karnal and were trying to escape to Nepal.
Choudhury said after they took away the terrorists from the jail, Parminder got separated from them and he came to Shamli where he was nabbed. Parminder had also escaped in March from Punjab jail where he was serving life term in a murder conviction.
A report from Punjab said miscreants donned in donned in police uniform had attacked the highly-secured Nabha Jail on Sunday morning in which Khalistan liberation Force (KlF) chief Harminder Singh Mintoo and five others were freed. The KlF chief is an accused in 10 terror-related cases.
The armed men entered the prison by telling the security personnel that they have brought a prisoner for verification. Two of them reportedly reached the jail's main gate with a person in handcuffs. As a result, their vehicles were allowed to enter the prison. The men entered the prison premises in two cars, including a Toyota Fortuner SUV, and breached the three-tier security of the Nabha Jail. The attackers breached the prison security cordon around 9 AM and fired more than 100 rounds on the policemen present there.
The attack, said sources in the prison, lasted for less than 10 minutes as the jail security failed to put up a fight. The men used automatic rifles and fired indiscriminately. They also took away a self-loading rifle of the jail security staff. The attack took place when the prisoners were brought out of their barracks for breakfast and other morning chores. The timing was perfect for the men to attack. Sources said the prisoners, including Mintoo who seemed aware of the plan, were taken away in the SUV even as firing continued.