CHANDIGARH: Four suspected Khalistani terrorists have been arrested by the Haryana Police from near the Bastara toll plaza in Karnal when they were on their way to Adilabad in Telangana to deliver a consignment of explosives.
Sources said that the four alleged terror suspects were arrested based on intelligence inputs by central agencies that they have links with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. They have been identified as Gurpreet Singh, Amandeep Singh, Parminder Singh, and Bhupinder Singh. Gurpreet and Amandeep are brothers. While three belong to Ferozepur, Bhupinder is from Ludhiana. They were taking instructions from their handler Harjinder Singh Rinda who is based in Pakistan.
Police have recovered a pistol, 31 live cartridges, six mobile phones, three containers carrying 7.5 kg of explosives and Rs 1.3 lakh in cash from them. As per Forensic Science Laboratory Division (FSL) experts, the recovered explosives are improvised explosive devices (IEDs) packed in three small iron containers, each weighing 2.5 kg. Each box had a timer, detonator, explosive and power. The timer, detonator and explosive were connected but were not connected with the power. Also, there were nails in each box. The weapons were air-dropped using a drone. Gurpreet had met Rajbir Singh, an associate of Rinda, in the jail.
"On scanning of the containers, they were found to be full of explosives,” said an official, adding that Rinda had shared the location of Adilabad in Telangana to drop the consignment via an app which was found on one of the seized phones. During the preliminary investigation, Gurpreet reportedly confessed that they received the consignment from across the border via drones at the behest of Rinda.
Superintendent of Police of Karnal Ganga Ram Punia said the terrorists were travelling in a Toyota Innova (MUV) and were in regular touch with their handler in Pakistan who sent locations to them to deliver consignments of explosives and weapons.
A case has been registered at the Madhuban police under the Explosive Substance Act and Arms Act. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Indri Assistant Superintendent of Police Himadri Kaushik has been formed. Also teams of Punjab Police, Intelligence Bureau and other agencies reached Karnal to question the suspects.
Sources said that they had earlier dropped a consignment of weapons and explosives at Nanded in Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, the wife of terror suspect Amandeep Singh reached Karnal and said that her husband was taxi driver who had bought this Toyota Innova only a few months ago, adding that the family had no idea that he was involved in such activities. She claimed that Amandeep’s brother Gurpreet Singh had a criminal background as cases were registered on him and the family had broken ties with him for the last few years.