Terror module linked to Babbar Khalsa busted in Fazilka; 4 held, 5 pistols seized

Fazilka, November 3

The Fazilka police claimed to have busted a terror module linked to the banned pro-Khalistan outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), with the arrest of its four operatives here today.

Rinda named as accused, UAPA added to FIR

• Fazilka SSP Manjit Singh Dhesi said Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International chief Harvinder Singh Rinda had been nominated in the FIR. Sections 17, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) had been added to the FIR
• The SSP added that Sehajpreet Singh, one of the operatives of the terror module arrested on October 27, sought directions from Rinda and others on the smuggling of arms and the identification of VIPs who were to be targeted by the module

Fazilka SSP Manjit Singh Dhesi said Pakistan-based BKI chief Harvinder Singh Rinda has been nominated in the FIR as an accused.

He added that the police also seized five foreign-made pistols that had been smuggled from Pakistan via drone, 9 magazines and 23 cartridges from the suspects.

The SSP said that the arrests were made during operation ‘Seal-4’ launched by the state police. Initially, two suspects, identified as Sharanjeet Singh and William Masih, alias Goli – both residents of the Dera Baba Nanak police station area in Gurdaspur district – were arrested during nakabandi on the Punjab-Rajasthan border on September 10.

The police team had seized two pistols, 3 magazines and 20 cartridges from the two suspects. They were booked under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.

Based on their interrogation, the police nominated two more accomplices — namely Sehajpreet Singh, alias Nirwair Singh, alias Sunny, of Kotha village in Gurdaspur and Kailash Khichan of Phalodi, Jodhpur in Rajasthan — in the FIR.

Khichan used to allegedly supply arms from Rajasthan to Sehajpreet Singh though William, Sharanjeet and another accomplice, Amarjeet Singh, alias Nikka, of Kotli Surat Malli village in Gurdaspur.

The Fazilka police had issued a lookout notice against Sehajpreet Singh, as a result of which he was nabbed from the International Airport in Delhi when he was about to fly to Dubai and other countries on October 27. Amarjeet Singh, alias Nikka, was arrested by the police on October 30, taking the number of arrests in the case to four.

The police seized three Chinese-made pistols, six magazines and three cartridges smuggled from Pakistan from Sehajpreet.

SSP Dhesi said during interrogation, Sehajpreet confessed that he was operating on the behalf of BKI head Harvinder Singh, alias Rinda.

The SSP added that Sehajpreet was in touch with Rinda and other BKI operatives, including Harpreet Singh, alias Happy, of Amritsar (now based in the US) and Nishan Singh of Gurdaspur (now based in the UK).

SSP Dhesi said that Sehajpreet sought directions from them on the smuggling of arms and fake currency and the identification of VIPs who were to be targeted.

The SSP added that another operative of the terror module, Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, of Kotha village in Gurdaspur was assigned the job of doing recee of VIPs in Punjab.

BKI chief Rinda and other accused have been nominated in the FIR. Sections 17, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) have been added to the FIR.

SSP Dhesi said the suspects were planning extortions and targeted killings of influential persons in the state to spread terror.