Key KLF arms supplier arrested from Haridwar
BROUGHT TO MOHALI ON TRANSIT REMAND; SENT TO FOUR-DAY POLICE CUSTODY
LUCKNOW/MOHALI : The Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorist squad (ATS) on Saturday arrested Punjab resident Ashish Singh from Uttarakhand for allegedly supplying arms to Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) member Dharminder Singh “Gugni”, who was involved in targeted killings of right-wing leaders in Punjab.
Ashish, a resident of Amritsar, was also wanted in a case registered in Mohali in 2018 for attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and Arms Act.
He was brought to Mohali on a transit remand on Sunday and was produced before the duty magistrate who remanded him to four-day police custody.
According to information, Punjab Police had arrested Sukhpreet Singh, a resident of Moga, after the murder of KLF chief Harmeet Singh in Pakistan on January 27.
Sukhpreet’s interrogation revealed the name of Ashish.
He was in touch with some persons based in Pakistan through phone and Punjab Police shared this information with the ATS in Uttar Pradesh.
The accused is being considered the right hand of the KLF chief Gugni and police suspect his involvement in the murder of various RSS and Shiv Sena leaders in Punjab.
Gugni, who was active in Punjab and Haryana and is currently lodged in Tihar jail, told the police that Ashish used to supply arms to him.
Gugni was close aide of Harmeet, said additional director general (ADG) Uttar Pradesh ATS Dhruva Kant Thakur.
According to a senior police official, first case against Ashish was filed in Mohali for illicit liquor trade in 2009.
In 2010, he was sentenced to 10 years jail term in a drug peddling case and was currently on bail since November 2014, said a senior police official.
During this term in Patiala jail, he met Gugni and another criminal Sukhbir.
When they were released, Gugni and Sukhbir asked Ashish to arrange arms. Against the demand of five pistols of .32 calibre, he supplied three to Sukhbir.
Later, in 2016, Gugni ordered 12 such pistols and Ashish supplied him four in the same year. In 2017 and 2018, he sold four pistols to two persons sent by Gugni, added an UP ATS official.
However, National Investigation Agency (NIA) that filed chargesheet in targeted killing case in Mohali court, charged Gugni as a conspirator and alleged that he also supplied weapon for killing of RSS and Hindu outfit leaders in Punjab in 2016.
Besides, gangster Sukhpreet Singh Buddha, who was arrested by Interpol from Romania last year, told the police that Ashish used to supply arms to his gang. Buddha was wanted in more than 20 cases in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi region, added an official.