Pak-backed KTF module busted in Tarn Taran , 3 held
Police intercepted suspects at a naka and seized 2 IEDS, as many grenades and 3 pistols, suspected to have been dropped by a drone
TARN TARAN: Punjab Police have busted a Pakistan-backed Khalistan Tiger Force (KLF) terror module with the arrest of three persons and the recovery of arms and ammunition at a checkpoint near Bhagwanpura village in Bhikhiwind sub-division of Punjab’s Tarn Taran district.
The arrested men were identified as Kulwinder Singh, Kamalpreet Singh Mann and Kanwarpal Singh of Moga district. They were coming from the Indiapakistan border near Khalra in a car on Wednesday night. Kanwarpal disclosed that he had returned from Canada two weeks back.
A search of the car revealed two improvised explosive devices (IEDS), apparently tiffin bombs, two hand-grenades and three pistols of .9mm. Police said they suspect that the arms and explosives were dropped by a drone from Pakistan. The IEDS were packed in two boxes and were yet to be opened by the police, said a senior police official aware of the development.
Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) OS Ghuman said, “A team led by Bhikhiwind station house officer (SHO) Navdeep Singh had put up a naka (checkpoint) near Bhagwanpur village on Wednesday night. Our investigation to ascertain the backward and forward linkages of the accused is on.”
Police have launched a search operation in the border area in the Bhikhiwind sub division. During the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, a joint team of the Punjab Police and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel launched a search operation at the border near Khalra village after a drone was heard in the area.
Sharing details, additional director general of police (ADGP) internal security, RN Dhoke said preliminary investigations revealed that the module members reached Tarn Taran to retrieve the dumped hardware consignment on the directions of Canada-based Arshdeep Dalla, who is a close aide of Hardeep Nijjar, KTF’S Canda-based chief.
Dhoke said during investigation, the accused revealed that after retrieving the consignments, they were awaiting further instructions from Dalla.
The development came four months after Punjab Police arrested three activists of the KTF, involved in several heinous crimes, including the murder of a Dera member and firing on a priest. The trio had been found acting on the directions of Nijjar.
A case has been registered under Section 307 (attempted murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 475 of the Explosives Substance Amendment Act, Sections 13/18/20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act at the Bhikhiwind police station.