New Delhi: In a major success, Punjab Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) has arrested three aides of Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda from India-Nepal border and Gurugram. According to police, these three absconding shooters were working for gangster Sonu Khatri, a close associate of Rinda.
The accused, arrested by AGFT in coordination with Central agencies, have been identified as Jaskaran Singh, Jograj Singh and Sukhmanjot Singh Brar. Brar was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border and the remaining two were nabbed from Gurugram. They were brought to Punjab on Friday and a heavy police force was deployed at Chandigarh airport to receive them.
Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav said: “In a pan-India operation, AGTF-Punjab in coordination with Central agencies has successfully arrested three absconding shooters handled by gangster Sonu Khatri, a close associate of terrorist Harvinder Rinda. Brar, arrested from the Indo-Nepal border, was attempting to escape to Nepal. All three of them were planning to prepare fake passports to escape abroad from Kathmandu, Nepal. They were involved in the broad daylight shootout at Metro Plaza, Zirakpur. Three foreign-made sophisticated pistols have also been seized by the police.”
The arrested persons were involved in five murders, seven attempts to murder and heinous crimes like carjacking, extortion.
Additional IG Sandeep Goel, who was leading the operation, said that preliminary investigations have revealed that arrested accused persons used to commit sensational crimes in Punjab on the directions of Sonu Khatri, and after committing the crime they used to take refuge in hideouts located in different parts of India and Nepal. “Hideouts were arranged by foreign handler Sonu Khatri, who also used to pay the shooters on a regular basis via Hawala transactions,” he added.
Meanwhile Punjab police on Friday also conducted raids at suspected hideouts of associates and active supporters of gangsters across the state.
Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said: “Today’s searches were planned after questioning people arrested during recently busted modules of gangsters” several persons have also been detained for questioning during the operation for further verification and incriminating material has been seized from their possession. The whole operation was planned to disrupt the nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers based in India and abroad.”
822 places of associates, relatives and friends linked with various gangsters were raided by over 350 parties of Punjab police involving about 2000 police personnel during this operation in all the 28 police districts in the state.
(IANS)
