‘Arrest of members of Babbar Khalsa group foiled attempts of target killings in state’: Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav

Yadav said, “The module is being operated by USA-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passian — a close aide of designated terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, along with his associate identified as Shamsher Singh alias Shera, who is presently based in Armenia.”

During the arrests, the police seized two .32 bore pistols along with four magazines and 30 live cartridges from their possession, besides the motorcycle on which they were travelling.

A case under Sections 10, 13, 17, 18, 18-B and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), sections 25 and 25 (7) of the Arms Act and Sections 115 (Abetment of offence) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered at the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, on Monday.

The DGP said, “Preliminary investigations suggested that Passian and Shera are working in connivance with Rinda to radicalise the youth by motivating them to carry out anti-national activities in Punjab. The probe has also revealed that the arrested accused were tasked to carry out target killings in the state to create panic in society.”

Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar, Navjot Singh Mahal said, “Following intelligence inputs that members of the BKI module were hatching a conspiracy to carry out target killings, police teams from Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar, launched a special operation and arrested the accused at a naka (check point) set up in the Mehatpur area.”