Punjab Police has arrested one more operative of ISI-backed terror module jointly handled by Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and Pakistan-based Gangster Harvinder Singh Rinda, said Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav on Saturday. The arrested accused has been identified as Harpreet Singh alias Har Sarpanch of village Jogewal in Ferozepur.

The arrest comes eight days after the Counter Intelligence team led by Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar, Navjot Singh Mahal had busted the module with the arrest of its two operatives identified as Baljit Singh Malhi and Gurbaksh Singh alias Gora Sandhu, both residents of Ferozepur.

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The police had also recovered one sophisticated AK-56 assault rifle along with two magazines, 90 live cartridges and two bullet shells from a location pinpointed by Gurbaksh Singh at his village.

DGP Yadav said that following the disclosure of accused Baljit Malhi, the police team has managed to apprehend Harpreet Singh alias Har Sarpanch, who is considered to be the close aide of Italy-based gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Sanghera and was also in touch with Canada-based Gangster Lakhbir Landa.

Baljit was also in touch with Happy Sanghera, and on his directions only, he had picked consignment of weapons from a pinpointed spot at Makhu-Lohian road near the sanctuary in village Sudan in July 2022.

During preliminary investigations, Harpreet Singh has confessed to have arranged a 10 days stay for Lakhbir Landa’s associate identified as Jagjit Singh alias Jotta of Mehta Road in Amritsar and his aide at an abandoned house in Makhu area of Ferozepur, said the DGP, adding that Jotta has been facing four criminal cases and is currently lodged at Central Jail, Amritsar.

Yadav said that the accused also revealed that he was in close touch with Nachattar Singh alias Motti, already arrested by the Tarn Taran Police, and used to ferry his drug consignments on his blue-coloured BMW car. Pertinently, the BMW car was recently seized by the Amritsar Commissionerate Police.

Giving more details, AIG Navjot Singh Mahal said that the accused Har Sarpanch also used to collect money on behalf of gangsters Lakhbir Landa and Happy Sanghera to further provide financial assistance and logistics support to their associates. Further investigations are on and more revelations by Har Sarpanch are expected soon, he added.

The Canada-based Landa is considered to be the close aide of Pakistan-based wanted gangster Harvinder Singh alias Rinda, who had joined hands with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and they have close ties with the ISI. Landa had played a key role in the Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) terror attack at the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali and had also planted an IED beneath Sub-Inspector Dilbag Singh’s car in Amritsar.