Punjab Police foil targeted killing plot backed by foreign handler
Two alleged operatives of a foreign-based handler, who had recently returned from Dubai to Punjab to execute a targeted killing, have been arrested by the Punjab Police’s Counter Intelligence Wing in Pathankot, officials said on Friday.
Two sophisticated .30 bore pistols and 10 live cartridges from their possession, they said.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ravinder Singh alias Dhillon, a resident of Dhilwan in Batala, and Jashanpreet Singh, a resident of village Bal in Gurdaspur, they said.
Police also impounded the motorcycle on which the duo were travelling. The vehicle did not have a registration number, officials said.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were working at the behest of a foreign-based handler and had recently arrived from Dubai to execute the assigned task.
Further investigation is underway to uncover the backward and forward linkages of the network and identify other operatives connected with the foreign-based handlers, the DGP said, according to a statement.
Additional Inspector General, CI wing Pathankot, Sukhminder Singh Mann said the agency had received specific information that two motorcycle-borne persons were in possession of weapons and were travelling from Gurdaspur towards Batala to execute a targeted killing.
Acting swiftly on the input, CI wing Pathankot teams strategically cordoned off the area and arrested the two suspects from the outskirts of Gurdaspur while they were travelling on their motorcycle, he said.
During a search, two .30 bore pistols along with 10 live cartridges were recovered from their possession, Mann said.
A case has been registered under the provisions of the Arms Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Police Station, State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar.
