Published Sep 09, 2023 | 10:50 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 09, 2023 | 10:50 AM
Punjab police with the three arrested shooters. (Supplied)
The Punjab Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) has arrested three alleged aides of Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda, from the India-Nepal border and Gurugram.
According to the police, the 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, 8 September, amidst heavy police security.
“In a pan-India operation, the 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,” Punjab’s Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.
“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. They were involved in the broad daylight shootout at Metro Plaza, Zirakpur. Three foreign-made sophisticated pistols have also been seized,” he further said,
The arrested persons were involved in five murders, seven attempts to murder, and other crimes such as carjacking, and extortion.
Arrested shooters. (Supplied)
Additional IG Sandeep Goel, who led the operation, said that preliminary investigations revealed that the accused committed sensational crimes in Punjab at Khatri’s behest. After committing the crime they took 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 regularly via hawala transactions,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Punjab police on Friday also conducted raids at suspected hideouts of associates and active supporters of gangsters across the state.
“Today’s searches were planned after questioning people arrested during the recently busted modules of gangsters,” special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said,
“Several persons have also been detained for questioning. 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,” the DGP added.
As many as 822 places of associates, relatives, and friends of various gangsters were raided by over 350 parties of the Punjab police. About 2,000 police personnel took part in the operation conducted in all 28 police districts.
