Punjab: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2022

Three accomplices of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, an aide of KTF’s Canada-based ‘chief’ Hardeep Singh Nijjar, were arrested with two hand-grenades and two pistols from Chogawan village in Moga District of Punjab on January 7, reports Hindustan Times. The arrestees identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi of Shadiwala village, Varinder Singh alias Vinda of Makhu and Baljeet Singh of Fatehgarh Panjtoor village in Moga District, had planned to attack a church in Moga to disturb the law-and-order situation, the Police said. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Charanjeet Singh Sohal said, “The accused had done a recce of a church and planned a grenade attack on it. However, we caught them and averted the attack.” The SSP further said, “First the accused tried to run over the police team with their vehicle when they were intercepted and then they tried to throw grenades at them. They also pointed pistols at the police personnel. However, the police managed to catch them.” A .9mm pistol, a magazine and six cartridges were recovered from Gurpreet Singh, while a .9mm pistol, two magazines and 12 cartridges were found with Varinder Singh and two hand-grenades were recovered from Baljeet Singh. The SSP said, “During interrogation, they said that they were in regular touch with Arsh Dala, who provided them the grenades to throw at a religious place. He had also given them money for this task.” According to the Police, Dala along with KTF’s Canada-based chief Nijjar is a co-conspirator behind the targeted killings in Punjab, including the murder of a Dera follower and firing on a priest in Nijjar’s village. Besides, he was the prime accused in the murder of gangster Sukha Lamme and a trader in Moga. At present, he is hiding in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Read less...

Punjab Police on January 10 said that it has arrested six operatives involved in the recent hand grenade attacks, including the one at Pathankot Army Camp, and have busted a major terror module backed by the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF-Rode), reports Indian Express. Those arrested have been identified as Amandeep alias Mantri, Gurwinder Singh alias Gindi, Parminder Kumar alias Rohit, Rajinder Singh alias Malhi alias Nikku, Harpreet Singh alias Dholki and Raman Kumar of Ghazikot, all residents of Gurdaspur District. Punjab Director General of Police V K Bhawra said that during preliminary interrogation, the accused revealed that they were directly in touch with the ‘chief’ of ISYF-Rode Lakhbir Singh Rode and his close aides identified as Sukhmeetpal Singh alias Sukh Bhikhariwal and Sukhpreet alias Sukh “for planning terrorist attacks”. “The Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr) police have also recovered six hand grenades (86 P), one pistol (9mm), one rifle (.30 bore) along with live bullets and magazines from their possession,” he added. “The entire cache of the recovered hand grenades, arms and ammunition were pushed in from across the International Border by Lakhbir Rode and the arrested accused had been tasked with further attacking pre-identified targets, mainly police and defence establishments, religious places etc,” Bhawra revealed, adding that the accused also “confessed to have lobbed hand grenades two times in Pathankot.” “In two instances, some unidentified persons had hurled hand grenades in Pathankot — one near Chakki Pull on November 11, 2021 at about 9.30 pm, while another grenade attack took place outside Triveni Dwar, 21 sub-area of Army at Pathankot on November 21, 2021 at about 9 pm. Separate FIRs were registered in this regard,” he further said. An official spokesperson said Rode’s role “was also found in killing of Comrade Balwinder Singh at Bhikhiwind on October 16, 2020, besides in the recovery of tiffin IED [improvised explosive device], RDX, arms and ammunition from his relative Gurmukh Singh Rode from Jalandhar in August 2021.” Read less...

An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) weighing five kilograms was recovered near the Attari-Wagah border on January 15, according to a Punjab Police Special Task Force (STF) official who said that the device came from Pakistan, reports NDTV. According to Rashpal Singh, Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP), STF, Amritsar, currency worth INR 100,000 was also recovered. AIGP, STF, Singh said, "We got information about drugs but when we reached there, found it to be an IED weighing around 5 kgs. The contents of the bag will be revealed after further investigation. Currency of ₹ 1 lakh has also been recovered from the place that is very near the Wagah-Attari border. It has come from Pakistan." Read less...

On January 20, Police recovered one under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL), two live hand grenades, 3.7 kg of explosives, nine detonators, and codex wires from the Dinanagar area in Gurdaspur District, reports The Tribune. Later, on January 21, the Gurdaspur Police lodged a First Information Report (FIR) on Pakistan-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode and four others in the case. “An FIR naming Rode, Sukh Bhikhariwal, Sukh Ghuman, Malkit Singh, and Arshdeep Singh Dalla has been registered at the Dinanagar police station. Of these, Malkit Singh of Gazikot village has been arrested and the recovery was made after we interrogated him. Sukh Bhikariwal is lodged in Tihar jail and we will be bringing him here on a production warrant. A manhunt has been launched to nab the remaining accused,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nanak Singh. Read less...

Anti-terror probe agency National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 21 said it has conducted searches at multiple locations in Punjab in connection with its investigation into the bike Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast case of Jalalabad in which one person, Binder Singh, died on the spot, reports The Tribune. A spokesperson in the agency said the NIA teams have conducted searches at five locations in Taran Tarn, Fazilka and Ferozepur Districts in connection with the case. The NIA official said, “During the searches conducted today, electronic gadgets, ammunition, documents and other incriminating materials have been seized.” Read less...

The security agencies have warned Delhi Police that on the occasion of Republic Day Khalistani militants can strike in the national capital of Delhi, reports Odisha TV on January 25. The Police have released posters of eight Khalistani militants in this connection. Recently a case of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) was lodged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Jaswinder Singh Multani, a German-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) member who was allegedly linked to Ludhiana Court Blast on December 23, 2021, was detained and questioned in Germany. Delhi Police have released posters of the Khalistani militants from different organisations, and have urged the people to inform them immediately if they come across anything suspicious. The posters have been pasted across the national capital. Read less...

A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was injured in an exchange of fire with Pakistani smugglers during a cross-border drug smuggling bid along the Indo-Pak border in an area under Border Outpost (BOP) Chandu Wadala in Gurdaspur District of Punjab on January 28, reports Daily Excelsior. The BSF foiled the cross-border drug smuggling bid and during the search operation, 47 packets of heroin and seven packets of opium were recovered, the BSF said. Besides, a Chinese made Norinco pistol with two magazines, 9 mm Pietro Beretta pistol with one magazine, 74 rounds of AK-47 with four magazines, 44 rounds of 0.3 calibre and 12 rounds of 9 mm were also seized by the BSF. A 15-feet-long plastic pipe was also recovered from the spot. Read less...