Chandigarh: The Punjab Police Friday said six people have been arrested for allegedly hurling a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) inside a police station complex in Tarn Taran district last week. The police also claimed to have busted a foreign-controlled terror module behind the incident.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the entire operation was planned by gangster-turn-terrorist Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa Harike, based in Canada, along with Europe-based Satbir Singh alias Satta, and Gurdev alias Jaisel. Ajmeet Singh, currently lodged at Goindwal Sahib Jail, helped them carry out the attack, added Yadav. He was arrested in October for the murder of a cloth merchant in Tarn Taran.
All six arrested are residents of Tarn Taran district and four from Naushra Pannua village, also Satta’s native place. Among those arrested include two juveniles in conflict with law.
Two others who are also involved in the crime have been identified but yet to be arrested, said Yadav. He also said investigations on ground were led by Senior Superintendent of Police, Tarn Taran, Gurmeet Chauhan.
Among those arrested is Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi Numberdar (18), of Naushera Pannua village. He has a criminal history and was on bail when he got in touch with Lakhbir and Satta. According to police, Gurpreet received Rs 8.5 lakh along with weapons and ammunition to carry out the attack.
Other arrested accused include Gurlal Singh, alias Gahla (19), of Chohla Sahib; Surlalpal Singh alias Gurlal alias Lali (21) of Thathiya Mahanta village; and Jobanpreet Singh, alias Joban (18) of Naushera Pannua village.
The police also said Gurpreet, along with two others, received the P86 RPG from Jhander village in Tarn Taran on 1 December and dumped it at a spot near Marhana village in the same district. It was then retrieved by the two juveniles who flung it at the police complex on 9 December.
DGP Yadav said the accused learnt how to use the RPG through YouTube videos and were also trained by Lakhbir via video calls.
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Pistols, Soviet-era weapon recovered
The police team has recovered three pistols — two .32 bore and one .30 bore — along with ammunition, one hand grenade P-86 and one motorcycle used in the crime.
Yadav also said a Soviet-era single-use 70mm calibre RPG-26 weapon, which was used to carry out the attack, was also recovered from the spot. He also said the RPG-26 weapon, used by the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, was sourced from across the border.
“The foreign-based handlers used cut-outs and Dead Letter Box (DLB) techniques for retrieval of consignment and establishing contact so that the module members were assigned tasks directly by the handlers and were aware of only their roles. Even the identities of sub-modules remained hidden from other sub-modules,” said Yadav.
He explained that the two juveniles who were tasked with hurling the RPG at the police station were told about the target just two hours before. “The two did not know each other and were made to meet each other by Lakhbir and Satta at the same spot. While one drove the motorcycle, the other pulled the trigger,” said Yadav.
Two others, who are yet to be arrested, had procured the RPG, while Gurpreet, along with Gurlal and Jobanpreet retrieved it. Surlalpal provided logistical support and also handed over Rs 1 lakh to both the juveniles.
After the attack, the two juveniles fled to Saido village and took shelter in a ‘tubewell room’ that was arranged by Lakhbir, said the DGP.
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