Patiala: In a major breakthrough, the Punjab Police on Sunday claimed to have busted a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module operated by foreign-based handlers Maninder Billa and Manu Agwan after arresting three of the group members involved in grenade attacks on police posts in Badshahpur in Patiala and Azimgarh in Haryana’s Kaithal district.The operation was jointly conducted by the counter intelligence (CI), Patiala, and the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), SAS Nagar, said Gaurav Yadav, director general of police, Punjab.The arrested accused have been identified as Sandeep Singh alias Deepu, a resident of Badshahpur in Patiala; Harpreet Singh alias Jagga, a resident of Harchandpura in Patiala; and Harmanpreet Singh alias Preet, a resident of Gurdialpura in Patiala.The arrests follow grenade attacks on police post Badshahpur in Patiala on April 1 and police post Azimgarh in Haryana on April 6. After the attacks, BKI operatives Happy Passia, Manu Agwan, and Gopi Nawasherian had claimed responsibility for the attacks on social media platforms.“By successfully busting this module, Punjab Police have solved both incidents of grenade attacks on police establishments in the state,” said the DGP, adding that both handlers were operating under the directions of terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda.Yadav said the module had received logistical and financial support and preliminary investigations suggested that it was actively planning further attacks on police establishments in Punjab. Further investigations are ongoing to trace forward and backward linkages in the case, he added.Simrat Kaur, AIG, CI, Patiala, said during the interrogation, the arrested persons confessed that attacks on both police establishments were masterminded by their associate Gurpreet Singh alias Babbu, who is lodged in Patiala Jail and currently in police custody.She said Gurpreet Singh alias Babbu had promised Sandeep Singh alias Deepu Rs 3-4 lakh for participating in the Badshahpur attack, while Harmanpreet Singh alias Preet was paid Rs 10,000 to accompany in the Azimgarh attack.The AIG said further investigations were underway and more arrests and recoveries were expected in the coming days.A case was registered under Sections 25(1)(B) and 61(2) of the Arms Act at police station SSOC, SAS Nagar, against the trio and Sections 4, 5, and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act were added later, said the police.MSID:: 122798492 413 |
