In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police has disrupted a Pakistan-ISI backed terror-module being operated by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative Harvinder Rinda and Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia and executed by foreign-based Gangster Gurdev Singh alias Jaisel alias Pehalwan with the arrest of its two members, who confessed to have placed an improvised explosive device (IED) at Ajnala Police Station, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.
Those arrested have been identified as Jashandeep Singh alias Danny, a resident of Jandiala Guru in Amritsar and another person is 17-years-old Juvenile. Police teams have also recovered two Chinese made P86 Hand Grenades and one sophisticated Turkey-made 9MM Zigana pistol along with ammunition from their possession, besides, impounding their Black Splendor motorcycle, which they were riding.
The development came in less than three weeks after the recovery of an IED planted close to the Ajnala Police Station on November 23, 2024. Pertinently, terrorist organisation BKI had used social media platform to claim the responsibility for this act of terror.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that accused Jashandeep Singh Danny and the other arrested accused person were in touch with Gurdev Jaisal, who allured them to work for him in lieu of money and drugs. Apart from planning terror activities, Jaisal also used them for drug peddling, he added.
He said that both the arrested persons confessed to have placed an IED at Ajnala Police Station following directions of their handlers and also revealed that they had received various consignments of weapons and explosives.
The DGP said that further investigations are being conducted to unearth the entire network of Rinda, Happy Passia and Jaisal. Efforts are being made to identify and apprehend other members of this group to bring the case to a logical end, he added.
Sharing operation details, AIG State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Amritsar Sukhminder Singh Mann said that they have received a secret information that Harvinder Singh Rinda, Happy Passia and Gurdev Jaisal have mobilised their associates to carry out anti-national activities in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala areas and also arranged huge consignment of weapons and explosives for them to execute the plans of targeting government establishments.
Acting swiftly on the information, the teams of SSOC Amritsar launched an intel-based operation and arrested accused Jashandeep Danny and his juvenile accomplice from the area of Amritsar after recovering arms and explosives from their possession, he said.
AIG Sukhminder Mann said that in May 2024 too, Jashandeep Danny was arrested by Batala Police for his involvement in extortion and later, after getting bail, Jashandeep again got involved in criminal activities. Similarly, the juvenile was also earlier arrested by Amritsar City police in August 2024 for stealing an Activa scooter.
Being a juvenile, he was released after a few days, he added. In this regard, a case FIR No. 69 dated 13.12.2024 has been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act, sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances (Amendment) Act and sections 61 (2) and 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station SSOC, Amritsar.