Moga, June 19
The Moga police foiled the designs of the ISI to revive militancy in Punjab by arresting two Sikh militants today, having links with ultras in Jammu and Kashmir, the Khalistan Zindabad Force and the Babbar Khalsa International.
Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, Moga, told TNS over the telephone that Amandeep Singh (26), son of Pritpal Singh of Phase 10, Mohali, and Mahavir Singh (30), son of Sukhveer Singh of Phase 4, Mohali, were arrested near Churhchak village, 20 km from the district headquarters, while they were travelling in a car.
On being asked to stop for checking, it was found that the number-plate of the car was fictitious. Later, on further checking, two foreign-made pistols loaded with five cartridges each, four mobile phones, e-mail addresses of militants, videocassettes and other literature was seized from them.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that Amandeep Singh had done BE (Chemical Engineering) from Chandigarh where he came in contact with militants while Mahavir Singh had also done his graduation from a Chandigarh college. There they came in contact with each other and developed links with militants.
Mahavir Singh is the district president of the Ropar youth wing of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Member of Parliament Gurcharan Singh Tohra. He is also a trustee of the Guru Asra Trust, Mohali, run by a former top militant, Kanwar Singh Dhami. The trust is now engaged in providing shelter and education to the kin of militants killed in police encounters.
The SSP said Amandeep Singh
had close relations with a top militant, the late Jugraj Singh Toofan, alias Toofan Singh Toofan. A videocassette based on the life history of Toofan has also been seized from them.
Jupinderjeet Singh adds from Ludhiana: Confirming the presence of ISI-trained terrorists in Punjab and their involvement in several cases of bomb blasts, the Punjab police today announced the arrest of a Pakistan national belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba and who headed a four-member group in the state, from near Raikhi Chowk here this noon. The cops are on the lookout for his three accomplices.
The police has seized half a kg of RDX, a Mouser, a 9-mm Czech-made pistol and eight rounds from him, besides documents, including diaries and phone numbers.
Announcing the arrest at a press conference here today, the DGP, Punjab, Mr M.S. Bhullar, said the police made the breakthrough while the DIG, Ludhiana, Mr Rohit Choudhry, was investigating the Doraha train bomb blast. Apart from this blast, the police said the gang was responsible for almost all blasts in the state during the past couple of years.
The alleged kingpin has been identified as Abdul, alias Vijay Kumar, alias Wasil, son of Rafiq Iqbali and resident of Karachi. The police has identified the three other members of the gang as Kammalu Din, alias Joginder Singh Hoshiarpuri, a resident of Pakistan, Iqbal, also a resident of Pakistan and Rasheed. The police has also identified a man named Noor Mohammad, who used to harbour the gang members, and was running a Madarsa. He regularly visited Jammu and Kashmir.
The DGP said the gang members were active in the state and other parts of the northern region since 1997 and were working directly under the ISI. Their motive was to trigger off bomb blasts in the state periodically to create panic.
Mr S.K. Sharma, IG, (Jalandhar Range) and Mr Rohit Choudhry, while giving details, said that the arrest had revealed the use of a new kind of explosive device by terrorists. They were mixing RDX with mobil oil to make a crude bomb.
