Police claimed that the duo was associated with 'Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF)', and were acting on the directions of KTF’s Canada-based chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose name 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.
Punjab Police on Sunday claimed to have arrested two Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) activists from Moga and cracked several cases, including that of the murder of Bathinda-based Dera Sacha Sauda follower and that of a Moga-based businessman.
Police said their investigations so far have also revealed that the arrested suspects had been involved in the killing of gangster Sukha Lamme in June last year and throwing his body in a canal in Moga. Police have launched a hunt to locate Lamme’s body.
Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta identified the arrested suspects as Lovepreet Singh alias Ravi and Ram Singh alias Sonu. The duo was nabbed late on Saturday night near the railway crossing in Mehna of district Moga, when they were on their way to allegedly kill another dera premi (Sacha Sauda follower), to ‘take revenge of Sri Guru Granth Sahib’s sacrilege’.
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, police said.
Police claimed that the duo was associated with ‘Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF)’, and were acting on the directions of KTF’s Canada-based chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose name 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.
DGP said that three other KTF’s co-conspirators, identified as Arshdeep, Ramandeep and Charanjit alias Rinku Bihla, were allegedly hiding in Surrey (B.C) Canada, while one Kamaljeet Sharma alias Kamal, was on the run. He said Arshdeep Singh of village Dalla in Moga and Ramandeep Singh of Ferozepur went to Canada in 2019 and 2017 respectively. Charanjit Singh had fled to Canada illegally around 2013-14.
According to initial investigations, which were led by Moga SSP Harmanbir Singh Gill, Lovepreet and Kamaljeet Sharma were known to Arshdeep as they all belonged to the same village. Ram Singh, who was a student at ITI Moga, was known to Kamal since college days. They were all paid by Arshdeep through Western Union money transfers.
On November 20 last year, Sonu and Kamal had allegedly killed Manohar Lal, a Dera follower, at Bhagta Bhaika in Bathinda, said the DGP.
Sonu and Kamal were also allegedly involved in firing at a priest Kamaldeep Sharma, in Bhar Singh Pura in Phillaur (Jalandhar Rural) on January 31 this year. The priest, who was shot at thrice, was seriously injured in the attack that police claim was carried out by the suspects on the directions of Nijjar. 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.
Later, on June 27 last year, Arshdeep during a visit to India, roped in Lovepreet and Kamaljeet to allegedly kill gangster Sukha Lamme by injecting him with a poisonous substance at an abandoned house in Dalla village of Moga. They then threw the body in the Daudhar canal at Pul Madhoke after disfiguring his face, said DGP.
Moga SP (investigation) Jagatpreet Singh said that they have started a search for Lamme’s body and the canals were being checked.
On July 14 last year Ravi and Kamal had allegedly killed Tejinder alias Pinka, the owner of ‘Super Shine Clothes’, to terrorise the people of Moga city and make them cough up ransom. Ravi fired at Pinka, while Kamal stood outside the shop, investigations have revealed.
Later, on February 9 this year, Ravi and Sonu also attempted to kill the owner of Sharma Sweets, Moga, said police.
After Pinka’s murder, a Facebook post had appeared purportedly from Sukha Lamme’s Facebook account in which he claimed killing the shopkeeper. Moga SP (investigation) Jagatpreet Singh said, “By that time, Lamme had already been murdered and the accused had posted the video from his FB account to derail the probe.”
The DGP said further investigations in the cases were in progress and they were trying to figure out if the duo was involved in other crimes. A hunt has been launched to arrest their absconding accused, Kamal, said DGP. He added that a Red Corner Notice has been issued against Nijjer, who has also been put on the “No Fly List” by the Canadian authorities, sometime back.
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