With the arrest of seven persons, including a man who had planted an improvised explosive device (IED) beneath a sub-inspector's car, Punjab Police have cracked a case of terrorist-gangster nexus with the involvement of Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav, said here on Saturday.
On August 16, two motorcycle-borne persons had planted an IED under the Bolero SUV of sub-inspector Dilbag Singh, which was parked outside his residence in Amritsar.
The IED weighing about 2.79 kg, carrying about 2.17 kg explosives, was recovered from the spot by the police.
The man arrested for planting the IED has been identified as Deepak (22) from Patti village in Tarn Taran, while six others, who had provided logistic, technical and financial support, have been identified as Harpal Singh, a police constable, Fatehdeep Singh, Rajinder Kumar, Khushalbir Singh, Varinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh.
Varinder and Gurpreet, who were lodged in the Goindwal Jail and are close-aides of Landa, had roped in Khushalbir for the crime.
The police have also recovered a motorcycle used by Deepak for planting the IED and five mobile phones from the accused, besides recovering Rs 2.52 lakh, $3,614, 220 euro, 170 pound and passports from the possession of Fatehdeep and Harpal.
DGP Yadav said the Amritsar Commissionerate Police got its first break in the case with the arrest of Harpal and Fatehdeep from the Delhi International Airport a day after the incident, when both were trying to flee to Maldives.
The questioning of the accused revealed the involvement of Rajinder, who fled to Shirdi after he failed to flee from India in the absence of a second Covid vaccination certificate, the DGP said, adding that Rajinder was arrested with the assistance of ATS Mumbai on August 20.
Further investigation in the case established the role of two jail inmates -- Varinder and Gurpreet -- who on the direction of Canada-based gangster Landa had arranged Khushalbir for retrieving the IED along with Fatehdeep and handing over to Deepak and his accomplice, who finally planted it under the SI's vehicle.
Landa (33), a native of Tarn Taran who fled to Canada in 2017, had also conspired the rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attack at the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali.
He is considered to be a close aide of Pakistan-based wanted gangster Harvinder Singh alias Rinda from the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).