The two men were planning targeted killings in various north Indian states (Twitter/Mahendar Singh Manral) The Delhi Police Special Cell on Monday arrested five suspected members of a banned terrorist group following a brief exchange of fire in East Delhi’s Shakarpur on Monday morning. While two are from Punjab, three belong to Kashmir.
The two accused from Punjab are associates of dreaded gangster Sukhmeet Singh, alias Sukh Bhikhariwal and were allegedly involved in the killing of Shaurya Chakra awardee, ‘Comrade’ Balwinder Singh, 62, a former CPI(M) member, who had taken on militants at the height of the insurgency in Punjab in the 1990s.
Police said they were working on the directions of Khalistan movement leaders sponsored by Pakistan’s ISI and had allegedly killed Balwinder Singh on their orders. The two men were planning targeted killings in various north Indian states and the police have recovered weapons, drugs, and other incriminating materials from their possession. Singh was gunned down at his home in Tarn Taran’s Bhikhiwind by two unidentified bikers on October 16.
Balwinder Singh Sandhu Sandhu (62), who was awarded Shaurya Chakra for fighting militancy in Punjab, was gunned down at his home in Tarn Taran’s Bhikhiwind by two unidentified bikers on October 16.
A team of New Delhi Range was tracking the movement of the five men for the last two-three months and they came to know on Sunday evening that they would be coming to Delhi. “Acting on this information, a trap was laid and they were arrested after 13 rounds of firing. The firing took place at around 7 am. They were later taken to Lodhi Colony for further questioning,” the officer said.
As per the initial police investigation, police said that the two of them, who are from Punjab, are suspected members of the banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International while three people from Kashmir were working as middlemen. “They were working on the directions of Khalistan movement leaders sponsored by Pakistan’s ISI,” an officer said.
A team of New Delhi Range was tracking the movement of the five men for the last two-three months (Twitter/Mahender Singh Manral)
DCP (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said they have arrested five persons after an exchange of fire. “Total 13 rounds were fired from both sides. We have made their arrest in Trans Yamuna with arms, drugs, and vehicle used for transportation,” he said.
An investigation is underway.
