Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered high alert in the state following the arrest of four more members of an ISI-backed terrorist module involved in a bid to blow up an oil tanker with an IED tiffin bomb last month, making it the fourth case of a Pakistani terror module being busted in the state in the past 40 days.
Two Pak-based terrorists, including a Pakistani Intelligence Officer, have also been identified and nominated in the case, in which one person was arrested earlier, DGP Dinkar Gupta disclosed on Wednesday.
Taking a serious note of the increased attempts by terror groups to disturb the state's peace, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has directed the police to be on high alert, particularly in view of schools and educational institutions reopening, as well as the festival season and the Assembly polls ahead. The Chief Minister has asked the DGP to ensure a high level of security arrangements to be put in place, especially in busy places, such as markets etc, as well as at sensitive installations across the state.
Giving details of the arrests, the DGP identified Pak-based ISYF Chief Lakhbir Singh and Qasim, a resident of Pakistan, and Lakhbir Singh Rode, who is currently based in Pakistan, as being behind the terror module. Those arrested earlier have been identified as Rubal Singh and Gurpreet Singh. While Rubal, also wanted in a murder case of September 1, 2021, was picked up from Ambala around 5 pm yesterday, the other three were nabbed from their villages in Ajnala, Amritsar. Their fifth accomplice, Gurmukh Brar, was arrested earlier by Kapurthala Police on August 20, 2021.
The DGP said the Pakistani intelligence officer, identified as Qasim, and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) Chief Rode had promised to transfer over Rs 2 lakh to the terrorist module for carrying out the blast. Investigations into the financial aspects are also being carried Oil Tanker out to unravel the money trail, he added. Rubal and Vicky Bhutti were in touch with Qasim, who was working in close collaboration with Rode. Rode and Qasim had reportedly tasked the 4 members of a terrorist module to blast an Oil Tanker for causing maximum damage to people and property.
The terror attempt was made on August 8, 2021, when, at about 11:30 pm, the Ajnala police received information that an Oil Tanker (PB-02 CR 5926) parked at Sharma Filling Station Ajnala, located on the Amritsar-Ajnala Road near village Bhakha Tara Singh, had caught fire. The fire was controlled by a Fire Brigade and an FIR was registered at Ajnala Police Station.
( With inputs from ANI )
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