‘Spies' planned to form gangster-radical nexus
Nikhil Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, January 8
In the Halwara Air Force Station case, in which three persons were arrested for leaking classified information to ISI agents in Pakistan, the questioning of the three accused has revealed that they were creating a gangster-radical nexus to disturb peace in Punjab.
Halwara arrests
Funding from Pak?
- The accused possibly got funding from Pakistan and other countries through hawala channels
- The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen and being checked
- The NIA and Military Intelligence are also conducting separate probes in the case
On December 29, the police had arrested three persons — Ramdas Singh, a contractual employee from Toosa village of Ludhiana; Sukhkiran Singh Sukha, also from Toosa village; and Shabir Ali, hailing from Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh.
After taking pictures of the Air Force station, in connivance with his two accomplices, Ramdas shared these with ISI agents in Pakistan and other countries.
Police sources said on the directions of an ISI agent and some Khalistani militants, the three were luring youth on Facebook for pursuing anti-national agenda in Punjab. “When the police checked Facebook and other social media accounts of the accused, many youth were found in touch with them. They discussed Khalistani activities in Punjab. Youth were even being assured that weapons would be supplied to them,” said a police source.
Ludhiana (Rural) SSP Charanjit Singh Sohal confirmed that Sukha and others had radicalised some youth in Punjab. “We traced several such youth across Punjab who were being radicalised by the accused. Now, wee are deradicalising such youngsters by counselling them and involving their parents,” he said.
The police officer said there was a possibility that the accused, especially Sukha, got funding from Pakistan and other countries through hawala channels. The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen. The NIA and military intelligence are also conducting separate probes in the case. All three accused were sent in judicial custody on Thursday.
The SSP said the accused not only radicalised youth, but they also created a gangster-radical nexus to give wings to their anti-national agenda. The police listed several such gangsters who are either in jail or at large. Soon, the police will bring jailed gangsters on production warrant for questioning.
