Punjab police busts terror module

Punjab Police on Thursday busted a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist module, Khalistan Gadar Force, with the arrest of one Shabnamdeep Singh from Patiala, the police said on Thursday.

Shabnamdeep was planning to attack police stations and crowded places during the ongoing festival season.

A pistol, hand grenade and a letter pads belonging to Khalistan Gadar Force and other banned terrorist organisations have been recovered from him.

With this arrest, the Punjab Police has blown up Pakistan ISI’s nexus with Gurpatwant Singh Pannu’s campaign for Sikh Referendum-2020, and the conspiracy hatched by ISI-backed Sikh For Justice (SFJ) to spread mayhem in Punjab and other parts of India, DGP Suresh Arora said.

Shabnamdeep's arrest proves once again that the SFJ continues to spearhead and promote the “Sikh Referendum 2020” campaign through violence and arson, the DGP said, adding that the organisation is patently preying on the poor, illiterate and devout Sikh youth from Punjab's countryside and radicalising them.

“The youth are being exploited by the SFJ, which is using their poverty and credulity as cannon fodder to unleash violence and promote secessionist acts in the state” Arora said.

Giving details of Thursday’s operation, Arora said that Shabnamdeep was currently out on bail in a petty crime case in Rajasthan. It has been found that Shabnamdeep was operating a Facebook account under the pseudo name of “Lahoria Jatt Gill” with a profile picture of Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale.

Investigations so far have revealed that in July, Shabnamdeep was contacted by one Javed Khan Wazir, a suspected Pakistan Intelligence Officer (PIO), and was introduced to a Pakistani Sikh ‘Gopal Singh Chawla’.

He was further introduced to two other persons, who told Shabnamdeep that they were also supporters of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and asked him to join more associates and propagate Sikh Referendum-2020 in a big way.

Shabnamdeep and his handlers created a Facebook page in the name of “Khalistan Gadar Force” to popularize the newly formed terrorist outfit and propagate its actions.

Javed Khan tasked Shabnamdeep to carry out targeted killings and promised him Rs 10 lakh for each such act.