In a major blow to organised crime in Punjab amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police have averted planned target killings in the state with the arrest of Harpreet Singh alias Happy Baba of village Aladinpur in Tarn Taran, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.
Accused Happy Baba has been facing several criminal cases pertaining murder and attempt to murder. Police teams have also recovered one .30 bore automatic pistol along with a magazine and three live cartridges from his possession.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused is an operative of most-wanted gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Jatt of Jandiala, who was hatching a conspiracy to execute target killings to disturb the peace and communal harmony in the border state of Punjab, and assigned the former to accomplish this task in lieu of huge money.
“Accused Happy Baba is also one of the biggest weapon suppliers in Punjab, and was closely associated with weapon suppliers of Madhya Pradesh,” he said. The development came 25 days after Counter Intelligence Jalandhar had arrested Vikramjit Singh alias Vicky Bhatti of Nanaksar Mohalla in Tarn Taran after recovering two pistols along with ammunition from his possession.
Sharing more details, AIG Counter Intelligence Jalandhar Navjot Singh Mahal said that during questioning of accused Vicky Bhatti, it came to light that the Happy Jatt has assigned Happy Baba to carry out target killings in the state. Acting swiftly, the police teams have launched a vigorous operation and arrested the accused Happy Baba, he added.
He said that during questioning Happy Baba confessed his involvement in inter-state smuggling of illicit weapons after smuggling them from Madhya Pradesh and since 2020-21, he has sold at least 100 illicit weapons in the area of Tarn Taran and Amritsar. Further investigations are on, he added. The FIR No. 57 dated 29.12.2023 has been registered under sections 25 and 25(8) of the Arms Act at Police Station State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) Amritsar.