RPG Attack: 12 weapons 'sold' by Nishan yet to be seized

Faridkot, May 15

In a bid to recover around a dozen weapons that gangster Nishan Singh, one of the key accused in the May 9 Mohali rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack case, sold to different individuals in the state, the Faridkot police plan to get extension of his police remand. After arresting Nishan in a criminal case from Amritsar and getting his five-day police remand from a local court, the Faridkot police had handed him over to the State Special Operation Cell, Mohali, after the police learnt about his alleged links to the Mohali blast case.

While Nishan’s interrogation by Faridkot and Mohali police had unravelled a conspiracy angle behind the incident, which led to the identification of Lakhbir Singh Landa, a Canada-based gangster, as the prime accused in the case, the police have yet to recover around a dozen weapons that Nishan sold or supplied to different persons in the state, said sources in the police.

While Nishan’s police remand ends on Monday, the Faridkot police have yet to recover the weapons. “For this reason, we have decided to get his police remand extended on Monday so that we make the recoveries for which he was arrested,” said a source in the police.

Nishan is an accused in as many as 13 criminal cases across the state. He was arrested from Amritsar after Kuldeep Singh, alias Keepa, a gangster and an associate of Nishan who was nabbed by the Faridkot police on May 7, told the police about the latter possessing several weapons.

After Nishan was arrested to recover the weapons, he revealed he was provided these by Lakhbir. In lieu of the weapons, Nishan had provided shelter to two accused of the Mohali blast case in his and two of his contacts’ houses. He had handed over the RPG to the accused after receiving it from Lakhbir’s contact.

After getting the weapons from Lakhbir, Nishan sold these to various persons across state, said the sources. “We have to recover these weapons,” said the police.

Linked to key accused Lakhbir

• Nishan was held from Amritsar after Kuldeep Singh, alias Keepa, a gangster, nabbed on May 7, told the Faridkot police about arms in his possession
• Nishan revealed he was provided weapons by Lakhbir Singh Landa, the prime accused in the Mohali blast case
• In lieu of the arms, Nishan gave shelter to two Mohali case accused. He had given the RPG to an accused after getting it from Lakhbir’s contact