In a major strike against the pro-Khalistan forces’ attempts to revive Sikh militancy in Punjab, the state police apprehended 13 Sikh extremists who were allegedly hatching a plot to target those behind the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Shiv Sena leaders.
SSP Gurdaspur, Sukhwant Singh Gill said on Sunday that the district police had picked up three militants belonging to a sleeper cell of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) -- Sukhjinder Singh from Guria village, Narinder Pal Singh of Improvement Trust Colony and Surinder Singh alias Chhinda belonging to Kiri Afgana village.
He said that one AK-47 rifle, with one magazine and 20 cartridges, one US-made 0.38 bore Smith & Wesson revolver, with five cartridges and one 0.45 bore Taurus pistol of Brazilian make with three cartridges have been recovered from them.
Further, the SSP revealed that by developing the available intelligence and operational leads received from the busting of the terrorist modules by the Amritsar Police and the Fatehgarh Sahib Police, the Gurdaspur Police had busted a terrorist gang armed with sophisticated weapons.
It was headed by foreign-based terrorist leaders and had been specifically aimed to target a Pathankot-based Shiv Sena leader with the aim of disturbing the hard-earned peace in Punjab.
According to Gill, the preliminary investigations had revealed a sinister design to revive terrorism in the state, with the help of the foreign-based terror chiefs who have motivated, supported and financed the local modules for carrying out spectacular acts of terror through the targeted killings of certain persons. The underlying gameplan behind it was to fan the communal passions in the state. And the sleeper cell was being controlled by foreign-based terrorists Harminder Singh and Harmeet Singh, he added.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh said, “We booked today (on Sunday) three accused-- Karandeep Singh, Jagdeep Singh and Satbir Singh-- for unlawful activities and Arms Act.
Following their arrest last month for alleged drug smuggling, the trio are currently in judicial custody. They shall be brought on production warrant from jail for interrogation and further investigation in the case is in progress.”
The Fategarh Police on Friday arrested nine youth from Tanda Mari village inGurdaspur, who had got in touch with a few militants in New Zealand, Hong Kong and the UAE and were said to be hatching a plot to kill those behind the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi.
SSP Fategarh Sahib Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said: “The accused who had little knowledge of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and themilitancy era in Punjab had planned to eliminate those, who, according to them, had orchestrated the riots. They had also organised a secret oath taking ceremony in this regard.”