THE UTTAR Pradesh Police Anti-Terrorist Squad on Friday said that they arrested three men who were involved in “suspicious activities” in Ayodhya on Thursday. During questioning, it was found that the three were working for Khalistani sympathisers and “were doing a recce for an incident in Ayodhya”, officers said. A statement issued by the UP ATS said that chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatvant Singh Pannun, has released an audio clip saying that the three were part of the SFJ. The three accused were identified as Shankar Lal Dusad alias Shankar Jajod – a resident of Sikar, Rajasthan; Ajeet Kumar Sharma – from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan; and Pradeep Punia, of Sikar, Rajasthan. The ATS said that Dusad had been in touch with Canada-based Khalistan supporter Sukhbinder Gill, before he was murdered in September last year in Canada. Dusad had also been in touch with Khalistan supporter Harminder Singh alias “Landa”, who lives in a foreign country, who was allegedly passing on to him instructions from SFJ chief Pannun. “On directions from the state government and the police headquarters, a special security operation was being conducted ahead of the Ram Temple consecration ceremony on January 22. During the operation, information was received that a gangster and his two accomplices were heading to Ram Janmabhoomi, Ayodhya. Working on the input, a vehicle was identified by UP ATS and it was followed. The vehicle was moving near sensitive sites in Ayodhya. The three were arrested with caution when they were entering a hotel in Ayodhya,” said the statement. “On questioning, it was found that Shankar Lal Dusad was facing seven cases lodged in Rajasthan – lodged between 2007 and 2014. These cases include one for murder, one for conspiracy to commit murder, and others such as assault, and under the Arms Act,” said the statement. Dusad was arrested in 2016 and was lodged in a prison in Bikaner and was released on bail in May last year. “While he was lodged in prison, he befriended one Lakhbinder. While Dusad was being released from prison, Lakhbinder told him to meet his nephew Pampa. During conversations with Pampa, Dusad was given the contact number for Canada-based Khalistan supporter Sukhbinder Gill alias Sukhdol Singh Gill alias Sukhdil. Pampa told Dusad to speak to Gill. After this, Dusad started speaking to Sukhbinder Gill who told Dusad that Lawrence Bishnoi was behind the murder of Dusad’s gang members and Khalistani supporters and that Dusad will help them get revenge. In September, 2023 Sukhbinder was murdered in Canada,” said the statement. It added, “It was also found that Dusad was close to so-called gangster Rajendra Jaat alias Raju Tehat. After the murder of Tehat in a gang war, Shankar Lal Dusad was running his gang. It was also found that Dusad accumulated wealth through illegal means and was involved in some mining work in Meghalaya and some transport work in Rajasthan.” The statement said that during questioning, Dusad said that Khalistan supporter Harminder Singh alias “Landa”, who lives in a foreign country, had told him that Pannun had said that he should do a recce and prepare a map of Ayodhya and await further instructions. “Dusad was told that material for the attack will be made available. They had put up a flag of Lord Ram on their vehicle so no one suspects them. For the other two, Dusad said that they are his accomplices and that they were there to help him. Police said that so far, fake IDs, fake SIM cards and fake papers for the vehicle were recovered from the accused. The three accused have been booked under IPC sections 121-A (conspiring to wage, or attempt to wage war, or abet waging of war against the government of India), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of a valuable security, will or authority to make or transfer any valuable security, or to receive any money), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (Using as genuine a forged document).
