Punjab News- Fatehgarh Sahib police arrests 6 more members of terrorist module

Fatehgarh Sahib, September 11, 2013: In the follow-up of the busting of a terrorist module by the Fatehgarh Sahib Police on September 6 this year when seven persons were arrested and six weapons recovered, the district police has arrested six more members of the terrorist module, including the ringleader Satnam Singh of Nanded Sahib (arrested from Sangli, Maharashtra).

The arrested persons are as under- Satnam Singh s/o Bikram Singh r/o Nanded Sahib- arrested from Sangli on September 10, 2013; Harvinder Singh s/o Gursewak Singh r/o Jagraon; Maninderjit Singh s/o Shingara Singh r/o Tanda Mari, PS Ghuman, district Gurdaspur; Tarandeep Singh s/o Satnam Singh r/o Tanda Mari, PS Ghuman, district Gurdaspur; Tejinder Singh s/o Tarlochan Singh r/o Sandoli, PS Pehowa, distt. Kaithal, Haryana and Bachitar Singh s/o Hardev Singh r/o Pandori Gola, district Tarn Taran.

Disclosing this here today, the Fatehgarh Sahib SSP Gurmit Singh Chauhan disclosed that following-up on the leads received from the arrests made on September 6, 2013 and further investigations in case FIR No. 144 dated September 5 this year u/s 153-A, 120-B IPC, 25 Arms Act, PS Fatehgarh Sahib, a police party of district police went to Maharashtra and effected the arrest of module leader Satnam Singh from Sangli with the assistance of Maharashtra police ATS. After his arrest, Satnam Singh has been produced before a Judicial Magistrate and his police remand upto September 18, 2013 has been obtained for further questioning.

He further said that other the other five arrests have been effected today on September 11 this year, on basis of leads developed during the investigation, including the questioning of Satnam Singh. In addition to the six weapons earlier recovered, 3 small weapons and one AK-47 rifle have been recovered from the freshly arrested persons. The total recovery of weapons from this module is now 10 including AK-47 rifle (1) and small weapons (9).

He revealed that the preliminary questioning of arrested persons and the investigations have revealed a sinister design to revive terrorism in Punjab by foreign-based terrorists who have motivated and financed  local modules for undertaking terrorist action with specific targeting of certain leaders, with the aim of disturbing the hard-earned peace in Punjab by fanning communal passions. The primary mode of radicalization of the arrested youth have been the internet and social networking sites such as facebook and whatsapp. The foreign-based layer is headed by Germany-based Babbar terrorist Resham Singh and includes operatives based in the UAE, Hong-Kong & Newzealand. The money transfers mostly used Western Union and are being investigated. The targets were selected by the Punjab-based terrorist modules and approved by the foreign-based handlers. The module had expanded and included many hardcore criminal elements involved in murder and robbery also in the terrorist network, he added.  

He said that the investigations have revealed systematic funding, motivation and support to several terrorist modules through social networking sites, Western Union etc. On August 22, 2013 another terrorist module was busted by the Amritsar police figuring Karandeep Singh @ Harry, Jagdeep Singh and Satbir Singh. An FIR u/s 17, 18, 20, 40 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, 120-B, 153-A IPC, 25 Arms Act has been registered in police station ‘E’ Division, Amritsar and investigations are ongoing. Necessary coordination with the Amritsar Commissionerate Police is also being done in this regard.

Further investigations are in progress.