SSP, 2 inspectors were on target of accused: Police

TARN TARAN: The three members of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), who were arrested with a cache of arms and ammunition near the Khalra border in Tarn Taran district on September 23, have revealed that a senior superintendent of police (SSP) and two inspectors of Punjab Police were their targets.

Punjab Police had busted the module with the arrest of three persons—kanwarpal Singh, Kulwinder Singh and Kamalpreet Singh of Moga district— with two boxes packed in foam (apparently tiffin bombs), two hand grenades (86P), and three pistols of .9 mm during a barricading near Bhagwanpur village.

The accused were allegedly coming from the India-pakistan border in a Maruti Swift car. SSP, Tarn Taran, OS Ghuman had said the arms and ammunition were dropped by a drone from Pakistan a few days back.

“During their interrogation, it has emerged that their specific target was the then SSP of Moga Harmanbir Singh Gill and two inspectors of the crime investigation agency (CIA) wing in Moga,” said an investigation officer, who didn’t wish to be named.

He further said the accused’s Canada-based handler Arshdeep, alias Dalla, was behind the conspiracy. According to Tarn Taran police, the arrested men had retrieved the cache of arms and ammunition at the instance of Dalla, who is close associate of Hardeep Nijjar, KTF’S Canadabased chief. Nijjar is one of the thirteen dreaded terrorists, who were designated by the government of India in July 2020.

“The SSP and the two CIA inspectors had launched a crackdown against Arsdeep Dalla in Moga. Keeping grudge, Dalla had hatched the conspiracy,” the official said. Gill, who is brother of Congress MP from Khadoor Sahib Jasbir Singh Dimpa, was transferred from Moga to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district last month. Arshdeep had alleged fled to Canada in between 2017 to 2019. Arshdeep’s

name was also involved in the killing of a sect sect follower and firing at a priest in May this year. According to the Tarn Taran police, one of the three arrested accused of the module—kanwarpal—had recently returned from Canada and was in contact with Arshdeep.

Police sources said Hardeep Nijjar, a native of Harsinghpur village in Jalandhar, is currently living in Surrey, Canada. In 2010, Punjab Police had filed a FIR against Nijjar for his involvement in an explosion near Satya Narayan temple in Patiala.

In 2015, another FIR was filed against him for plotting to kill religious leaders. In 2016, one more FIR was filed for organising training camp in Canada in December 2015. A lookout circular and Red Corner Notice were also lodged against him in 2015 and 2016. SSP Tarn Taran Ghuman, however, said, “We have not got any concrete information about the arrested accused’s target as our investigation is still underway.” Harmanbir Gill didn’t respond to repeated calls and text messages.