KLF chief Rode booked for smuggling arms, ammo
With ISI’S help, Rode is trying to destabilise peaceful atmosphere in Punjab by targeting social and religious leaders, says the FIR
RODE IS ALSO SUSPECTED TO BE BEHIND PLANNING OF ASSASSINATION OF SHAURYA CHAKRA AWARDEE COM BALWINDER SINGH ON OCT 16, 2020, IN TARN TARAN BY TWO UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE
AMRITSAR: : The Punjab police has registered a case against Pakistan-based chief of the banned Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) Lakhbir Singh Rode for allegedly smuggling arms and ammunition in the border areas of Amritsar district by using drones in the recent days to “attempt a big terror activity” in the state.
State special operation cell (SSOC) wing of the Punjab police registered the case against Rode, who is also the chief of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), on Wednesday, but the first information report (FIR), a copy of which is with HT, was available on Sunday.
The case has been registered under Sections 25 of the Arms Act, Sections 3, 4, 5 of the Explosive Substance (Amendment) Act, Sections 120, 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 13, 18, 18-A, 18-B and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Amritsar on the complaint of SSOC’S deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Harvinder Pal Singh.
According to the FIR, the DSP received a tip-off that Rode, who is wanted in various criminal cases in Punjab, has been active in various anti-national activities and in contact with Pakistan’s Inter-services Intelligence (ISI) agency and other separatist organisations.
“With the help of the ISI and other separatist organisations, Rode has been sending contrabands of arms and ammunition in Punjab to attempt a big terror activity. He has been working, with the help of criminals and gangsters, to destabilise the peaceful atmosphere by targeting social and religious leaders,” it said.
“Rode has made his several workers active and has been sending them money through various mediums. These workers have been waiting (for) a proper time to commit a big terror activity. Last week, Rode sent various big consignments of arms and ammunition in the Ramdas area of Amritsar with the use of drones. These consignments were thrown in Nishoke, Sehjaza, Talibpur and Pashian villages. These consignments would be received by Rode’s workers,” the FIR stated. Sources said the SSOC has also recovered a contraband of arms and ammunition from a border village. However, officials are not divulging information about the operation.
SSOC’S assistant inspector general (AIG) Sukhminder Singh Mann said they will disclose the information if any update in the case comes up.
Another official of SSOC, who didn’t wish to be named, said,
“the case was registered and our teams are working to ascertain the identity of those who are allegedly in contact with Rode. Our operation is still underway and we can’t disclose more in this regard.”
Sources said police are also making all out efforts to recover the consignments of explosives that have reportedly been smuggled in Punjab by Rode in the recent days. Earlier in January, the Gurdaspur police had booked Rode and four others following the recovery of explosives, including an under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) from Dinanagar. Rode, a resident of Bagapurana village in Moga, who is now living in Pakistan, is a nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale and brother of former Akal Takht Jathedar (leader) Jasbir Singh Rode.
Rode is also suspected to be behind the planning of assassination of Shaurya Chakra awardee Com Balwinder Singh on October 16, 2020 in Bhikhiwind of Tarn Taran district by two unidentified people.