Punjab Police busts ISYF terror module, three militants nabbed

Chandigarh: In yet another major breakthrough, the Punjab Police has arrested three terrorists and busted a terror module directly linked with Pakistan`s ISI-backed banned terror outfit, International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF).

The arrested terrorists-- Gurdial Singh, Jagroop Singh and Satwinder Singh had been trained and tasked by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to carry out terror attacks and target various `anti-panthic and anti-Sikh forces/individuals` by Pakistan-based ISYF chief Lakhbir Rode, and Harmeet Singh alias Happy alias PHD.

Preliminary investigations by the Punjab Police have also revealed that a part of the consignment of arms and ammunition seized by the Border Security Force (BSF) on May 21 this year close to the international border in Amritsar, was supplied by the ISYF.

Two terrorists--Maan Singh and Sher Singh had been arrested by the BSF last month, while they were attempting to pick up the said consignment.According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, while Gurdial hails from Road Majara, Hoshiarpur, both Jagroop and Satiwinder are residents of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district.

A 32 bore pistol, with one magazine and 10 cartridges and a .38 bore revolver, with 7 cartridges, were recovered from the suspects.While Gurdial and Jagroop were arrested from their native homes, Satwinder was apprehended at a Police Checkpoint close to his village in Pojewal Police station in Balachaur sub-division.

The spokesperson said Gurdial Singh was the chief operative of this terror module and was introduced to Lakhbir Singh Rode, who is staying in an ISI provided safe house in Lahore cantonment, by Germany based Balvir Singh Sandhu.

Gurdial had met Rode several times during his visits to Pakistan, as part of religious jathas, in the last six to seven years.During his last visit to Pakistan in November 2016, Gurdial had arranged a visa for Jagroop and he had travelled to Lahore.

During the interrogation, the duo revealed that during his stay in Lahore (November 12-21, 2016), Jagroop met Rode and Harmeet through Balvir.

Jagroop confessed that he was taken to the ISYF chief blindfolded at an undisclosed location and imparted a four-day training course by the ISI in handing AK-47 rifle and smaller weapons.

He was also trained in techniques of sabotaging railway tracks by loosening the securing/fastening mechanisms of fish-plates, nuts and bolts.

The spokesperson said that Satwinder was also an active member of this `action group` and, along with Jagroop, he was directly in touch with his mentors in Pakistan and Germany.

Both Gurdial and Balvir have terrorist backgrounds, with criminal cases registered against them in 1992 and 1988.

A Thompson gun had been recovered from Gurdial in 1992.The terrorists were nabbed after a meticulous intelligence-led operation of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar District police.

They have been booked under Sections 121,121A, 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act and Sections 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Act.Further investigation is underway.