New Delhi: Four men from Punjab who were arrested in Haryana with arms and ammunition in their possession are “couriers” of “a large terror racket” operating from Pakistan, sources in the security establishment have told ThePrint.
The four men were arrested in a joint operation of the Haryana and Punjab police forces Thursday while they were en route to Delhi in a white Toyota Innova. They were intercepted at the Bastara toll plaza in Karnal, Haryana, at around 5 am.
“We had received information that suspected terrorists would be trying to cross the border. Reacting to the intel, security was increased and they were detained,” a senior police officer said.
According to the Karnal police, the four arrested suspects are Gurpreet Singh, his brother Amandeep Singh, Parminder Singh, and Bhupinder Singh. While Gurpreet, Amandeep and Parminder are from Firozpur’s Vanjoki village, Bhupinder is a native of Bhatian village, Ludhiana district.
The FIR, which ThePrint has accessed, has been lodged at Karnal’s Madhuban police station under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and sections of the Arms and Explosives Act.
Three containers holding improvised explosive, each weighing 2.5kg, one loaded pistol, and 31 live cartridges were recovered from the vehicle. Additionally, six mobile phones and Rs 1,30,000 were also allegedly found in the car with the four men.
“They said during the initial interrogation that their handler is based in Pakistan — a wanted Khalistan terrorist, Harvinder Singh alias Rinda, who had assigned them locations,” a police source said.
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Weapons, IEDs ‘sent by drones from Pakistan’
Acting on intelligence inputs that a car carrying explosives was moving from Punjab to Delhi, the Haryana Police barricaded the Bastara toll plaza and carried out extensive checking of vehicles, the FIR says.
The car was identified based on the inputs — a Delhi registration number on the licence plate — and the four were detained immediately.
Speaking to ThePrint, Punjab director general of police (DGP) V.K Bhawra said, “Punjab Police was already on a manhunt for these suspects on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, and locations — Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot and SAS Nagar — were identified”.
The FIR also names suspected Khalistan terrorist Harvinder Singh ‘Rinda’ and his associate Rajbir.
Karnal superintendent of police (SP) Ganga Ram Punia told ThePrint that Rinda had allegedly sent the explosives to Ferozepur in Punjab from Pakistan through drones in March.
According to the FIR, the explosives appeared to be intended for transportation to Adilabad in Telangana, based on the location sent by Rinda on the Bipp app. Upon dropping off the explosives, the alleged couriers were to receive money from Rinda.
“These guys are human couriers of arms and explosives. They hand over explosives to others in other locations — a whole gang is operating. Further investigation will reveal their exact motive and what they planned to do in Adilabad, Telangana. Preliminary investigation has revealed that these four handled the logistics,” a senior police officer said.
The FIR also mentions that the suspects had previously delivered consignments of explosives to various locations given by Rinda.
Khalistan terrorist connection
According to the police source quoted earlier, preliminary investigations revealed that one of the arrested accused, Gurpreet, claimed to be in touch with Pakistan-based Harvinder Singh ‘Rinda’.
Describing Rinda as a “Pakistan-based gangster turned Khalistan terrorist”, the source added: “He is a history sheeter and has several cases — murder, robbery, extortion, contract killing etc— against him here.”
The FIR mentions that during preliminary investigation, the four accused revealed that Gurpreet had met one Rajbir while he was lodged in Ludhiana jail. Rajbir then allegedly connected him with Harvinder Singh alias Rinda, through the Signal app. “Rajbir told Gurpreet that he will be paid by Rinda when the job is done,” the FIR said.
According to a police source, Rajbir is currently in Bhatinda jail in a separate case.
Harvinder Singh is a native of Tarn Taran in Punjab and is believed to be associated with Babbar Khalsa International, a pro-Khalistan terrorist organisation. He is suspected to have fled to Pakistan some years ago. According to reports, 35-year-old Rinda had killed a relative at the age of 18, and is also suspected to have carried out the attack at the Nawanshahr Crime Investigating Agency building in November 2021.
Speaking to mediapersons, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Thursday that it is unclear if the four arrested are terrorists or pawns of terror organisations used for transporting explosives.
“The ammunition recovered is illegal and the people detained are also associated with some terror organisation. We do not know yet that they themselves are terrorists or if they are being used to transport explosives from one place to another,” Khattar said.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
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Source: The Print
