Punjab Police claim two suspected Khalistani operatives arrested
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 19
Punjab Police claimed they arrested two alleged Khalistani operatives who were allegedly planning to carry out a series of “terror attacks and targeted killings” with help from their Pakistani handlers.
Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said Amritsar Rural Police arrested the suspects, whom he identified as Gurmeet Singh and Vikram Singh, after a raid near Gurdaspuria Dhaba on GT Road, PS Jandiala.
Gupta said police were acting on a tip they received. Police allegedly found a MP5 sub-machine gun of German-make, a 9 mm pistol with 4 magazines, and two mobile phones with “incriminatory” conversations, messages, and photographs with the two suspects.
“The mobile phones revealed suspicious transactions with Pakistan-based elements, including photographs, voice messages, as well as the coordinates of a particular geo-location,” Gupta told the press on Friday.
He also said investigators also found several posts and web-links that linked with the movement’s beginnings on the mobile phone of Gurmeet Singh, one of the two suspects. Gupta claimed Singh was in touch with ISI and “anti-India elements sponsored by the Pakistan establishment” on a regular basis.
Gupta said Gurmeet Singh, a 44-year-old resident of Amritsar, allegedly told police during questioning that their Pakistani handlers had sent them photos and voice messages to help them locate and pick up some sophisticated weapons that their associates had kept waiting.
Gupta also claimed that they had instructions to target a particular community in Punjab.
Gurmeet Singh, who faces unrelated criminal charges of fraud in an old case, allegedly met his handlers three years ago when he visited Pakistan.
“Efforts were being made to find the identities of the Pakistan-based mentors and handlers of the terrorist module,” said Gupta.
The two have been booked for criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B), waging war against the state (121) and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as well as the Arms Act.
