CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh claimed on Tuesday that his police force had cracked the string of targeted killings of religious leaders in the state by busting a terror module managed by Pakistan-based ISI. Most of the killings took place in Ludhiana, Khanna and Jalandhar. Amarinder said ISI was working in tandem with gangsters and "cells" abroad to destabilise Punjab. The victims include RSS leader Brig Jagdish Gagneja (Retd), RSS activist Ravinder Gosain, Pastor Sultan Masih and two Dera Sacha Sauda supporters.
UK national held for working with radical groups
At a hurriedly called press briefing, Amarinder said four persons have been caught. This included UK national Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, who had landed in India on October 2. Others are Jimmy Singh, who had stayed in the UK for several years, and alleged gangster Dharmendra alias Guggni, who was lodged in Nabha jail and had supplied weapons to the killers.
The fourth accused, who is believed to be the main shooter in various cases, was caught on Tuesday afternoon. Police officials say his identity cannot be revealed at this juncture as he is still being interrogated.
Amarinder said, "Forensic and ballistic evidence in these cases matched, which confirms the hand of this module. The module was using encrypted mobile software and their main handler was the ISI, besides cells in other countries. The objective was to further ISI's agenda of carrying out anti-India activities to fan communal tension."
Jimmy, a Jammu resident, was picked up by the cops a week ago from Delhi's IGI airport. Jagtar got married just last month and was apprehended in Jalandhar. Dharmendra is from Meharban in Ludhiana. "Dharmendra's arrest has endorsed the suspicions of a growing nexus between radicals and gangsters," he added.
Interrogation of the four conspirators showed that they had met and were trained in various places abroad and had been using encrypted mobile software and apps for communication with handlers based in Pakistan and some western countries. Amarinder said Gagneja's murder case has been handed over to the CBI. Inputs will be shared with the central agency.
UK national held for working with radical groups
At a hurriedly called press briefing, Amarinder said four persons have been caught. This included UK national Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, who had landed in India on October 2. Others are Jimmy Singh, who had stayed in the UK for several years, and alleged gangster Dharmendra alias Guggni, who was lodged in Nabha jail and had supplied weapons to the killers.
The fourth accused, who is believed to be the main shooter in various cases, was caught on Tuesday afternoon. Police officials say his identity cannot be revealed at this juncture as he is still being interrogated.
Amarinder said, "Forensic and ballistic evidence in these cases matched, which confirms the hand of this module. The module was using encrypted mobile software and their main handler was the ISI, besides cells in other countries. The objective was to further ISI's agenda of carrying out anti-India activities to fan communal tension."
Jimmy, a Jammu resident, was picked up by the cops a week ago from Delhi's IGI airport. Jagtar got married just last month and was apprehended in Jalandhar. Dharmendra is from Meharban in Ludhiana. "Dharmendra's arrest has endorsed the suspicions of a growing nexus between radicals and gangsters," he added.
Interrogation of the four conspirators showed that they had met and were trained in various places abroad and had been using encrypted mobile software and apps for communication with handlers based in Pakistan and some western countries. Amarinder said Gagneja's murder case has been handed over to the CBI. Inputs will be shared with the central agency.
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