Attacks on police establishments hint at terrorists’ hand; cops in denial mode

Even as the Punjab Police remained in denial mode about the nature of recent explosions in police establishments, including the one at Gurbaxnagar police post and the other at Majitha police station, yesterday’s busting of a cross-border terror module has hinted at foreign-based terrorists and gangsters behind these attacks.

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On November 25, an IED attached with RDX was found planted outside the wall of Ajnala police station and five days later, the blast in the deserted Gurbaxnagar police post building rocked the holy city. Four days back, a mysterious blast occurred at Majitha police station in Amritsar rural belt though the police authorities said it was a ‘tyre burst’.

The city as well as the rural police officials maintained that the forensic reports of Ajnala and Gurbaxnagar police post’’s building were yet to arrive. USA-based gangster-turned-terrorist Harpreet Singh aka Happy Pashia along with Gopi Nawan Shehria and Jeevan Fauji had claimed responsibility for carrying out these blasts in social media posts.

Police officials said that investigations were in progress to verify the claims on social media which cannot be authenticated without a probe.

Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar on Friday claimed to have arrested 10 individuals including four operatives backed by Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda, US-based Happy Pashia, Fauji and another gangster Jashanpreet Singh.

The police seized a hand grenade, two .30 bore pistols, one .32 bore pistol and a drone.

The arrested operatives of the Pakistan-based terrorist Rinda-Pashia group were Arjanpreet Singh of Awan village, Lovepreet Singh of Perhewal village and Basant Singh and Amanpreet Singh, both residents of Baba Bakala area. Their other accomplices who used to provide logistical support were Barinderpal Singh alias Mani, Rajbir Singh alias Raju, both residents of Katle village, along with Vishvas Masih alias Bhabbo of Bhaganpura, Dilpreet Singh alias Manna, Harjot Kumar alias Mithu and Joyal Masih alias Rohan.

Police Commissioner Bhullar had claimed that they were targeting the police establishment and cops in Batala.

Police sources wishing anonymity said that Amanpreet was in contact with Pashia for nearly a year. Apart from him, Arjanpreet, Basant Singh and Lovepreet were his other main operatives who were targeting the police establishment through their unknown accomplices, including the one at Gurbaxnagar and Ajnala though they were yet to be identified and arrested. They have several criminal cases against them. As they belonged to the areas located in Dera Baba Nanak belt, they came in contact with Harwinder Rinda and Pashia group through social media, he said.