Two alleged Khalistani operatives, who were busted by Punjab police in Amritsar district on Thursday night
- June 20, 2020
- Updated: 01:46 am
DW BUREAU / CHANDIGARH
The Punjab Police on Friday said it has busted a Pakistan-linked terror module by arresting two alleged Khalistani operatives, who were planning to carry out a series of attacks and targeted killings in the state. Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta said Gurmeet Singh and Vikram Singh were arrested late Thursday night from a spot near Gurdaspuria Dhaba on the GT Road, under Jandiala Police Station, during a raid by an Amritsar Rural Police team, acting on a tip-off from the general public. A German-made MP5 sub-machine gun, a 9-mm pistol with four magazines, and two mobile phones with a host of incriminatory conversations, messages, photographs etc were seized from the duo, he said.
"The mobile phones revealed suspicious transactions with Pakistan-based elements, including photographs, voice messages, as well as the coordinates of a particular geo-location," Gupta said.
In addition, several posts and web-links propagating the formation of Khalistan were also found from the mobile phone of Gurmeet Singh, who has been in regular touch with the ISI, Pakistan's intelligence agency, and anti-India elements sponsored by the Pakistani establishment, he said. A case has been registered under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, he said.
According to the DGP, 44-year-old Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Ganda Singh Colony, Sultanwind Road, Amritsar, revealed during questioning that the photographs and voice messages had been shared with them by their Pakistan-based handlers to locate and pick up sophisticated weapons kept at that location by their associates. He further revealed that their Pakistan-based handlers had been instructing them to carry out terror attacks in Punjab, especially targeting persons belonging to a particular community, to further the cause of Khalistan.
Gurmeet Singh further disclosed that he had visited Pakistan about 3 years ago to meet his handlers. "Gurmeet Singh was earlier involved in a case of fraud with his brother, and a case was registered against him in Police station B-Division, Amritsar," he said. Efforts were being made to identify their Pakistan-based mentors and handlers, said Gupta, adding that further investigations to unearth the full linkages of terror module.
(editor@dailyworld.in)