PunjabPolice has arrested two activists of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), allegedlyinvolved in several heinous crimes in the past less than one year, includingthe murder of a Dera Premi and firing on a priest.
Thetwo were acting on the directions of KTF’s Canada based chief, Hardeep SinghNijjar, whose name incidentally figured in the list of Khalistani operativesthat was handed over by Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, to CanadianPrime Minister, Justin Trudeau, during the latter’s visit to India in 2018.
Withthe arrest of Lovepreet Singh @ Ravi andRam Singh @ Sonu, late on Saturday night from the rear side of Senior SecondarySchool near railway crossing Mehna, District Moga, the police also foiled aplan to kill another Dera Premi, who they were targeting to take revenge in theSri Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege cases. Three 0.32 bore pistols with 38 livecartridges and one 0.315 bore pistol with 10 live cartridges, along with twomagazines, were seized from the suspects.
Besides,Nijjar, three of their other KTF’s co-conspirators/masterminds, identified asArshdip, Ramandip and Charanjit @ Rinku Bihla, are hiding out in Surrey (B.C)Canada, while one, Kamaljeet Sharma @ Kamal, is still absconding, DGP DinkarGupta disclosed on Sunday. He said while Arshdeep Singh @Arsh s/o CharanjitSingh r/o village Dalla (Moga) and Ramandeep Singh @ Raman Judge s/o SukhjinderSingh r/o Ferozepur went to Canada legally in 2019 and 2017 respectively,Charanjit Singh @ Rinku Bihla s/o Gurjit Singh r/o village Bihla, Distt.Barnala, had gone there illegally in around 2013-14.
Accordingto initial investigations, which were led by SSP Moga, Harmanbir Singh Gill,Gupta said Lovepreet @ Ravi and Kamaljeet Sharma @ Kamal were known toArshdeep, as they all belonged to the same village, since childhood. Ram Singh@ Sonu R/O Ghal Khurd, who was a student at ITI Moga. were known to Kamal since college days. Allwere given money by Arshdeep, who sent it through Western Union moneytransfers.
OnNovember 20 last year, Sonu and Kamal had killed Manohar Lal, a Dera Premi, atBhagta Bhaika in Distt. Bathinda. Sonu fired 3-4 shots with Pistols in bothhands, and Kamal also fired, said the DGP.
Sonuand Kamal were also involved in firing at a priest, Kamaldeep Sharma, invillage Bhar Singh Pura in Phillaur (Jalandhar Rural) on January 31 this year.The priest, who was shot at thrice, was seriously injured along with a girl inthe attack, allegedly carried out by the suspects on the directions of Nijjar.In September 2020, Nijjar was designated a terrorist by the Ministry of HomeAffairs, Government of India, and the NIA had also attached his properties inBhar Singh Pura village under Section 51A of UAPA.
Kamaland Ravi were involved, along with Arshdeep (who had come to India at thattime), in the murder of their associate, Sukha Lamme, on June 27, 2020. Theyinjected poison into Sukha at an abandoned house at Village Dala and then,after burning his face, threw the body in Daudhar canal at Pul Madhoke.Earlier, on June 25, Ravi, Kamal and Sukha had fired at Maan’s residence atVillage Lamma Jatt Pura, Distt. Ludhiana (Rural).
Afew days later, on July 14, 2020, Ravi and Kamal killed the Tejinder @ Pinka,owner Super Shine Clothes, to terrorise the people of Moga city for exploitthem subsequently for ransom. Ravi fired at Pinka and Kamal stood outside theshop, investigations have revealed. In the latest incident, on February 9 thisyear, Ravi and Sonu also attempted to kill owner of Sharma Sweets, Moga.
TheDGP said investigations were in progress to unravel further links of theaccused and trace other previous crimes in which they might have been involved.A hunt has been launched to arrest the absconding accused, Kamal. He said whilea Red Corner Notice was issued against Nijjer, who has also been put on the “NoFly List” by the Canadian authorities, sometime back, international warrantswill be obtained, and Red Corner Notices will be issued against the otherradicals based in Canada. Gupta said the government would also seek theirdeportation to India to face prosecution and criminal trial.