Punjab CM Orders High Alert

 15th September 2021 at  7:23 PM

Police Nab 4 More in Oil Tanker IED Tiffine Bomb Blast Case

4th Case of Pak-Backed Terror Module Busted in 40 Days 

Seciurity Being Beefed up in busz areas and sensitive installations, says DGP

Symbolic Photo

Chandigarh: 15th September 2021: (Punjab Screen Bureau)::

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered high alert in the state following the arrest of four more members of an ISI-backed terrorist module involved in a bid to blow up an Oil Tanker with an IED tiffin bomb last month, making it the fourth case of a Pakistani terror module being busted in the state in the past 40 days.

Two Pak-based terrorists, including a Pakistani Intelligence Officer, have also been identified and nominated in the case (FIR no.260 dated 11.8.2021, PS Ajnala), in which one person was arrested earlier, DGP Dinkar Gupta disclosed on Wednesday.

Taking a serious note of the increased attempts by terror groups to disturb the state’s peace, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has directed the police to be on high alert, particularly in view of schools and educational institutions reopening, as well as the festival season and the Assembly polls ahead. The Chief Minister has asked the DGP to ensure high level of security arrangements to be put in place, especially in busy places, such as markets etc, as well as at sensitive installations across the state.

Giving details of the arrests, the DGP identified Pak-based ISYF Chief Lakhbir Singh and Qasim, a resident of Pakistan, and Lakhbir Singh Rode @ Baba, a native of village Rode, PS Samalsar, Moga district, who is currently based in Pakistan, as being behind the terror module. Those arrested yesterday have been identified as Rubal Singh, r/o Village Bhakha Tara Singh, , Vicky Bhutti, r/o Ballharwal, Malkeet Singh, r/o Ugar Aulakh, and Gurpreet Singh @ Gopi r/o Uggar Aulakh. While Rubal, also wanted in a murder case of September 1, 2021, was picked up from Ambala around 5 pm yesterday, the other three were nabbed from their villages in Ajnala, Amritsar. Their fifth accomplice, Gurmukh Brar, was arrested earlier by Kapurthala Police, on 20th August, 2021.

The DGP said the Pakistani intelligence officer, identified as Qasim, and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) Chief Rode had promised to transfer over Rs 2 lakh to the terrorist module for carrying out the blast. Investigations into the financial aspects are also being carried Oil Tanker out to unravel the money trail, he added. Rubal and Vicky Bhutti were in touch with Qasim, who was working in close collaboration with Rode. Rode and Qasim had reportedly tasked the 4 members of a terrorist module to blast an Oil Tanker for causing maximum damage to people and property.

The terror attempt was made on 8th August, 2021, when, at about 11:30 pm, the Ajnala police received information that an Oil Tanker (PB-02 CR 5926) parked at Sharma Filling Station Ajnala, located on the Amritsar-Ajnala Road near village Bhakha Tara Singh, had caught fire. The fire was controlled by a Fire Brigade and FIR no.260 was registered at PS Ajnala on the statement of Ashwani Kumar Sharma, r/o Ajnala.

Analysis of the CCTV footage at the filling station showed that four unknown persons had come near the Petrol Pump at about 11 pm and had stayed there for a few minutes, before going towards Amritsar side. The suspects returned at about 11:19 pm and placed some suspicious material on the fuel tank of the Oil Tanker before fleeing. Then, at about 11:29 pm, two of the suspects again returned, and within a minute, there was an explosion and the fire.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that Gurmukh had placed the tiffin IED at Hambowal on Jalandhar-Amritsar highway, from where, on 6th August, 2021, Vicky, Malkeet and Gurpreet Singh picked it up on the directions of Rode and Qasim. The trio hid the bomb near a canal in the Rajasansi area. A pen-drive was attached with the Tiffin box, which contained an Instruction Manual in the shape of the video with detailed steps on how to operate the Tiffin Bomb IED. After retrieval of the Tiffin Bomb IED, Vicky and Rubal were tasked by Rode to place the Tiffin Bomb on an Oil tanker to create a big explosion and cause maximum damage.

On 8th August, 2021, these terrorist operatives carried out  recce of Sharma Filling Station during the day and placed the IED at about 11:00 pm, with the timer of the Tiffin Bomb IED set to 8 minutes. The blast took place at about 11:30 pm, leading to the fire in the tank of the Oil Tanker.

All the five arrested operatives, alongwith Rode and Qasim, have been booked in FIR no. 260 dated 11-8-2021 registered under section U/S 436,427 IPC, 13, 16, 18, 18 B, 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 and Section 3, 4, 5 of Explosive Substances (Amendment) Act 2001.

As mentioned earlier, this is the fourth major Pak-backed terror module busted by Punjab Police since August.

On 8.08.2021, Amritsar (Rural) Police had recovered a sophisticated Tiffin bomb IED from village Daleke, PS Lopoke. The Tiffin bomb IED contained about 2-3 kg RDX and had 3 different trigger mechanisms, including switch, magnetic and spring for operational flexibility.

Around the 15th of August, the police had arrested two militants, followed by the recovery of a cache of weapons, hand grenades etc.

Another terror module was busted on 20.08.2021, when Kapurthala police recovered one Tiffin bomb IED besides 5 hand grenades, 1 box of detonators, 2 tubes suspected to contain RDX, one .30 bore Pistol, 4 Glock Pistol magazines and 1 high explosive wire from Gurmukh Singh Rode and Gagandeep Singh.

Recently, on 07.09.2021, Ferozepur Police arrested one Darvesh Singh r/o Ferozepur who disclosed that he had been in constant contact with Lakhbir Singh Rode and had collected consignments of weapons, Tiffin bomb IEDs, RDX and heroin, which had been dropped over drones from across the border in Ferozepur district. Darvesh Singh has been arrested in a criminal case registered at PS Mamdot u/s NDPS Act, Explosives Substances Act and UA (P) Act.

KLF backed terror-module busted in Punjab

Tuesday 6th July 2021 at 8:32 pm

Ex-soldier, who escaped from Patiala Jail among 4 held

*Jaspreet alias Noopi, who joined Indian Army in 2012, had raised a terror module to carry out targeted killings, says DGP Punjab Dinkar Gupta

Chandigarh//Khanna: 6th July 2021: (Gurjit Billa//Punjab Screen)::

Punjab Police on Tuesday has busted another targetted killing module backed by Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) handlers based abroad with the arrest of its 4 operatives, including a former Indian Army Sepoy, who had managed to escape from Patiala Jail in April 2021.

Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Dinkar Gupta said that accused Jaspreet Singh alias Noopi, who had joined the Indian Army as a Sepoy in 2012, was lodged in Jail in a murder case in 2017. “After escaping from Jail, Noopi came in contact with foreign based KLF handlers who  motivated and induced him to raise a terror module to carry out targeted killings in the state,” he said.

The other three arrested persons have been identified as Jaswinder Singh, a resident of village Fatehpur Bunga in Ropar, Gaurav Jain alias Minku of village Kaliawala in district Sirsa and Parshant Silelan alias Kabir, a native of Meerut UP and presently staying at Dhanas in Chandigarh, the DGP added.

Sharing details, SSP Khanna Gursharan Singh Grewal said that, following inputs, the Khanna Police had stopped an Etios car during a special checking at GT Road Khanna and three persons, who got out of the car, tried to flee after opening fire at the Police Party. However, the Police party managed to nab Jaswinder and Minku on the spot, while Noopi was arrested later, alongwith Kabir, his another accomplice.

The Police have also recovered two .32 bore Pistols, alongwith 4 magazines and ammunition from the possession of accused persons besides an Etios car bearing fake registration number PB01AS6845, which had been snatched by Noopi at gunpoint from Zirakpur last month.

DGP Dinkar Gupta said that, during investigations, Noopi confessed to have snatched the Etios car, besides looting Rs 50000 from a Petrol pump in Kharar on July 3, 2021, with the help of his associates.

“Noopi disclosed that he had come in contact with militant anti-India individuals and elements based abroad with links to KLF terrorist outfit, who had funded him from abroad for carrying out target killings in Punjab and also arranged Pistols for him from UP to carry out terror acts in Punjab,” said DGP Dinkar Gupta, while adding that Noopi also did recce of sensitive targets in Punjab towards in pursuance of his violent intentions.

SSP Khanna said that preliminary investigations had revealed that the module had received funding from abroad via various digital platforms including Western Union, Paytm etc and foreign handlers also provided three weapons to the module from Rudrapur in Uttrakhand. Further investigations are on, he added.

Meanwhile, an FIR no. 140 dated 04.07.21 has been registered under sections 379-B, 411/34, 307, 332 and 336 of the IPC and section 25 of the Arms Act at City-2 Police Station Khanna.