Hindustan Times (Patiala)

Terror module busted in Ajnala

‘Khalistani’ terrorists say their module was raised and indoctrina­ted by Ontariobas­ed Sikh hardliner Gurjivan Singh, who visited Punjab twice in past six months

- HT Correspond­ent letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

In a joint operation, the BSF and Punjab Police busted a terror module with links to Canada and Pakistan after arresting two suspected Khalistani terrorists from the border region in Ajnala. “Those arrested have been identified as Mann Singh from Sri Hargobindp­ur in Gurdaspur district and Sher Singh from Kartarpur in Jalandhar,” said official.

In a joint operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police busted a terror module with links to Canada and Pakistan after arresting two suspected Khalistani terrorists from the border region in Ajnala.

“Those arrested have been identified as Mann Singh from Sri Hargobindp­ur in Gurdaspur district and Sher Singh from Kartarpur in Jalandhar. They had come to collect the consignmen­t of arms on the instructio­ns of Canada-based terrorist Gurjivan Singh Kadiyan, said BSF officiatin­g DIG, Gurdaspur sector, Gurpal Singh and senior superinten­dent of police (SSP), Amritsar (rural), J Elanchezia­n.

On interrogat­ion, the BSF and police recovered four pistols (7.62mm) with nine magazines, one 9mm pistol with two magazines, an AK-47 assault rifle with three magazines, a modified rifle with two magazines, five hand grenades and over 450 rounds of ammunition of different calibre buried close to the Indo-Pak border. This ammunition was smuggled from Pakistan and was to be further used for terror activities in Punjab.

“The BSF troops at the administra­tive base of border out post Kamalpur observed a suspicious movement of a Toyota Innova,” said the BSF DIG. The BSF troops and station house officer, Ramdas police station, Vipin Kumar searched the vehicle and recovered a 315-bore rifle, a revolver and two magazines.

During preliminar­y interrogat­ion, the suspects said their module was raised and indoctrina­ted by an Ontario- based Sikh hardliner Gurjivan Singh, who had made two trips to Punjab in the past six months, and arranged the arms and ammunition­s for their operations through his Khalistani contacts in Pakistan. He was also in touch with them for the past two years, and had motivated them to commit terror strikes in Punjab, the officials said.

After getting the location from the suspects, the BSF troops, along with the police, reached the Ravi river gap and a specific point where ammunition and arms were hidden, they said. Their aim was to revive terrorism in the state by recruiting new members, said the officials.

The suspects revealed that

Gurjivan had imparted them theoretica­l training in handling arms, including AK-47 rifles.

They also told the interrogat­ors that they had travelled with Gurjivan to Uttar Pradesh to procure arms but had been unsuccessf­ul. Subsequent­ly, Gurjivan had promised to arrange the arms and ammunition through his Pak-based Khalistani contacts.

During interrogat­ion, Mann Singh also confessed to having made several visits to Pakistan and to being in touch with some Khalistani activists there.

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? BSF and Punjab Police officials showing the weapons recovered from Ajnala sector on Sunday.
HT PHOTO BSF and Punjab Police officials showing the weapons recovered from Ajnala sector on Sunday.
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