2 ‘linked’ with BKI arrested in UP; aided gangsters in Punjab: Police

LUCKNOW: Two persons having alleged links with banned outfit Babbar Khalsa were on Tuesday arrested in Lakhimpur Kheri district in a joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh anti-terror squad and Punjab Police.

They were wanted in separate cases, a top ATS official said. Jitendra Singh Toni was wanted for supplying illegal arms to inmates who fled the Nabha jail in Patiala in November 2016, IG UP-ATS, Aseem Arun, said. He was arrested from Mailani area in Lakhinmpur Kheri, he said.

Tony supplied firearms to Gopi Ghanshampuria, who allegedly hatched the jailbreak conspiracy to free three gangsters, Harjinder Singh Bhullar, alias Vicky Gounder, Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, alias Sonu Mudki, and Kulpreet Singh, alias Neeta Deol, lodged in the high-security Nabha jail.

Satnam Singh, on the other hand, was arrested by the joint team of ATS, Punjab and local police from Sikanderpur area. Their names emerged in course of interrogation of two other members of the same group, Balwant Singh and Jaswant Singh, who were arrested last month, Arun said. Superintendent of police, Kheri, S Channappa, said a Punjab court had issued warrants against them.

ACTION IN AMRITSAR

The police also arrested a leading wine contractor, Randeep Singh Rimple, in Amritsar on Tuesday. “There are leads that that Rimple had provided logistics to gangster Gopi Ghanshampuria when he had fled from custody of the Amritsar police during a court appearing in Batala three years ago,” said a senior official.

Ghanshampuria, Harry Chattha, Gurjeet Ladda (arrested by Patiala police on Tuesday) are the main conspirator of Nabha jailbreak. Former Akali minister Bikram Majithia’s aide Talbir Singh Gill was also quizzed as sources said he was Rimple’s friend.

“Gill was summoned on Sunday as he was close to Rimple. Nothing more should be read out of it as many other close friends of Rimple were also quizzed,” said a police official.