4 Punjab gangsters held with explosives in Karnal
KARNAL: Four Punjab-based gangsters having links with a Khalistani terrorist were arrested and improvised explosive devices (IEDS), arms and ammunition were recovered from their vehicle at a toll plaza in Haryana’s Karnal on Thursday, police said.
The four gangsters were reportedly on their way to Telangana to deliver the explosives and arms when they were arrested, police added.
Acting on inputs from the Intelligence Bureau and the Punjab Police, the Haryana Police intercepted the vehicle of the accused at Bastara toll plaza, along the Ambala-delhi National Highway, at 5am on Thursday, Panipat superintendent of police (SP) Ganga Ram Punia said.
A pistol, 30 cartridges, three IEDS weighing 2.5kg each and ₹1.3 lakh cash were recovered from the vehicle that bore a Delhi registration plate, he said. The accused were identified as Gurpreet Singh, 30; his brother Amandeep Singh, 28; Parminder Singh, 35; all residents of Vinjoke in Zira of Ferozepur, and Bhupinder Singh, 32, of Ludhiana district.
Gurpreet led the gang and was in touch with Pakistan-based gangster-turned-khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh, alias
Rinda, who provided them the explosives through a drone in Ferozepur recently, Punia said.
“During interrogation, the accused admitted they had got the explosives and arms from Pakistan with the help of a drone and said they were taking the consignment to a destination at Adilabad in Telangana,” he said.
The accused said it was the third consignment that they were delivering at the behest of the Khalistani terrorist. They had earlier delivered a consignment at Maharashtra’s Nanded, the SP added. Investigating officials also confirmed that the preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were associated with the banned radical outfit Babbar Khalsa.
Haryana director general of police (DGP) PK Agrawal said police are yet to ascertain if the consignment was being delivered to Adilabad in Telangana. “They (four arrested terrorists) are on a 10-day police remand. We arrested them on the basis of specific inputs. Now we will connect the dots after cross checking every piece of information they disclose during the interrogation. Whatever they will disclose will be verified, including the actual destination of this consignment,” Agrawal said.
Haryana home minister Anil Vij said the matter is being investigated by security agencies and the rest of information will be revealed only after the probe is completed. The four have been booked under Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosives Substances Act, Sections 13, 18, 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 25 of the Arms Act.