3 terror suspects held in Punjab

Have links with outfit backed by Pakistan’s ISI.

Punjab Police chief Suresh Arora. File

Punjab Police on Sunday said it has arrested three men having direct links with Pakistan’s ISI-backed outfit — the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), who were trained to carry out terror attacks.

The police in a statement released here, said the three arrested suspects — Gurdial Singh, Jagroop Singh and Satwinder Singh had been trained and tasked to carry out terror attacks and target various anti-Sikh individuals by Pakistan-based ISYF chief Lakhbir Rode.

According to the Punjab police, Gurdial hails from Road Majara, Garhshankar in Hoshiarpur district while both Jagroop and Satiwinder are residents of Chandpur Rurki, in Pojewal, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district.

Weapons recovered

“A .32 bore pistol, with one magazine and 10 cartridges and a .38 bore revolver, with seven cartridges, was recovered from the suspects,” said the police. The police said that while Gurdial and Jagroop were arrested from their native homes, Satwinder was arrested at a checkpoint close to his village in Pojewal in Balachaur.

Booked under Arms Act

“The suspects – were nabbed after a meticulous intelligence-led operation of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district police and have been booked under Section 121,121A, 120B of the IPC, Section 25,54 and 59 of the Arms Act and Section 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Act,” said the police.

The police claimed that Gurdial was the chief operative of this terror module and had met Rode several times during his visits to Pakistan as part of religious jathas (groups) in the last 6-7 years.