The Punjab Police has arrested two activists of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), allegedly involved in several heinous crimes over the past year, including the murder of a Dera Premi and firing at a priest, said DGP Dinkar Gupta.
The two were acting on the directions of KTF’s Canada-based chief, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose name incidentally figured in the list of Khalistani operatives that was handed over by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during the latter’s visit to India in 2018, he added.
DGP said that with the arrest of Lovepreet Singh or Ravi and Ram Singh or Sonu late on Saturday night from behind a shool near the railway crossing Mehna in Moga, the police also foiled a plan to kill another Dera Premi, who they were targeting to take revenge in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege cases. Three 0.32 bore pistols with 38 live cartridges and one 0.315 bore pistol with 10 live cartridges, along with two magazines, were seized from the suspects.
“On November 20 last year, Sonu and Kamal had killed Manohar Lal, a Dera Premi, at Bhagta Bhaika in Distt. Bathinda. Sonu fired 3-4 shots with pistols in both hands, and Kamal also fired,” said the DGP. He further said that Sonu and Kamal were also involved in firing at a priest Kamaldeep Sharma in village 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 in the attack, allegedly carried out by the suspects on the directions of Nijjar, said Gupta.
In September 2020, Nijjar was designated a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, and the NIA had also attached his properties in Bhar Singh Pura village under Section 51A of UAPA.
DGP Gupta also said that Kamal and Ravi were involved, along with Arshdip, in the murder of their associate Sukha Lamme on June 27, 2020. They injected Sukha with poison at an abandoned house in 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 at Village Lamma Jatt Pura, Distt. Ludhiana (Rural), the DGP added.
“A few days later, on July 14, 2020, Ravi and Kamal killed Tejinder @ Pinka, the owner of Super Shine Clothes, to terrorise the people of Moga city for exploit them subsequently for ransom. Ravi fired at Pinka and Kamal stood outside the shop, investigations have revealed. In the latest incident, on February 9 this year, Ravi and Sonu also attempted to kill the owner of Sharma Sweets, Moga,” the DGP said.
Nijjar and three other KTF co-conspirators identified as Arshdip, Ramandip and Charanjit or Rinku Bihla are hiding out in Surrey (B.C) Canada. One, Kamaljeet Sharma or Kamal is still absconding, DGP Dinkar Gupta disclosed on Sunday. He also said that Charanjit Singh or Rinku Bihla had gone to Canada illegally in 2013 or 2014.
The DGP said investigations were in progress to unravel further links of the accused 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 while a Red Corner Notice was issued against Nijjar, who has also been put on the “No Fly List” by Canadian authorities, international warrants will be obtained and Red Corner Notices will be issued against the other radicals based in Canada. Gupta said the government would also seek their deportation to India to face prosecution and criminal trial.