Suspects in weapon-dropping case sent to judicial custody

Mohali: The National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Wednesday produced four suspects, the alleged activists of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), in a special NIA court in Mohali. The court remanded all four suspects to 14-day judicial custody. They were produced in the court of special NIA judge Nirbhow Singh Gill.

The court handed over Mann Singh, Balwant Singh, Akashdeep and Shubhdeep to judicial custody. Romandeep Singh alias Robin, Sajanpreet Singh, Gurdev Singh, Balbir Singh and Harbhajan Singh were already in judicial custody since October 11.

Sources in the NIA said the agency has been successful in interrogating the suspects regarding dropping of weapons. The sources said the suspects have confessed their modus operandi as well as the source of weapons they had procured.

The NIA also said Mann Singh and Balwant Singh were already arrested by the special operation cell of Punjab Police and were lodged in a high security special jail.

The Tarn Taran blast case which took place on September 4 has led to the arrest of four KZF terrorists besides the recovery of arms, ammunition and satellite phones on September 22.

Five terrorists arrested earlier in connection with September 4 Tarn Taran blast had provided information about the terror plans of Khalistan groups in Punjab.

It is on the basis of the information provided by these terrorists that Balwant Singh alias Nihang, Aakashdeep Singh alias Aakash Randhawa, Harbhajan Singh and Balveer Singh were arrested from Chola Sahab area in Tarn Taran recently.

The police have recovered five AK-47 rifles, 30 bore pistols, nine hand grenades, five satellite phones, two mobile phones and two wireless sets beside a counterfeit currency of Rs 10 lakh from the possession of these terrorists.

The police investigation has revealed that these terrorists had received the consignment of weapons through a drone from Pakistan. The drones carrying arms and ammunitions that enter Indian territory are also a subject of investigation.

The arrested terrorists have confessed that Hindu festivals as well as political and religious leaders were being targeted and that they were getting support from Pakistan to disturb peace in the area.