Probe reveals narco-terror link

Pak-based Khalistani terrorist Rinda had sent a drug consignment along with explosives to accused to fund ops

KARNAL: Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda had not only sent consignments of arms and explosives to the arrested terrorists but also drugs so that his Indian counterparts could get their payment by selling these drugs, revealed the investigators.

“During the investigation, it was found that with consignments of arms, explosives and grenades, they used to get drugs which they sold to a dealer to get their payments,” said Karnal superintendent of police (SP) Ganga Ram Punia.

He said they also got some cash payments after delivery of consignments and police are still verifying this. Cops are working to find people associated with them in this network. The investigators said main accused Gurpreet had received Rs 12 lakh cash in the past couple of months, adding that he paid the money to his Ferozepur-based girlfriend, who later deposited the amount into her mother’s bank account. Officials said the money must be linked to delivery of consignments as there was no other source of income. However,

police officials could not ascertain direct involvement of his girlfriend in the terror activities. “We got the bank details and found that Gurpreet had deposited the money into a bank account at Ferozepur and this is being verified,” the SP said.

The investigation agencies also got some clues about the hawala transactions as the mode of payment to the accused but police officials associated with the investigation said they are verifying this. SP Punia said there was an input of hawala transactions but this is being verified. He said the investigation agencies have taken the accused to multiple locations in Punjab, including Ferozepur, Amritsar and Tarn Taran. On recovery of two fake registration certificates (RCs) from the

accused, the SP said police have also found the involvement of a Yamunanagar-based man who helped accused Amandeep to get a fake registration certificate but the investigation is still on. The Karnal police have registered a separate FIR under Sections 420, 467, 471 and 120B of IPC against Nitin Sharma, of Mehmudpur village in Ambala, for allegedly providing fake RCs of a Mahindra Scorpio and a Maruti Vitara Brezza, which were owned by two different people at Yamunanagar and Panipat, respectively. In the complaint, sub-inspector Surender Kumar alleged the RCs were created to mislead the police as the accused also have the same SUVs. The SP said police teams had already left to arrest Nitin and other people involved in providing fake RCs.