4 arrested for working at Khalistan terrorist groups
Four people were arrested on Saturday for allegedly working at the behest of pro-Khalistan terrorist groups, which they were planning to use them to carry out targeted killings in Punjab and other places, the Haryana Police said.
An AK-47 assault rifle, four pistols of foreign make, one country-made pistol and 56 live cartridges were seized from their possession, it said. They all hail from Sonipat in Haryana.
"The crime investigation agency (CIA) team of the Haryana Police has arrested four persons associated with pro-Khalistan terrorist group. Police seized a large number of illegal weapons from their possession in Sonipat district," a statement issued here said.
The accused were in touch through social media with the Khalistan Tiger Force and the International Sikh Youth Federation, it said.
In Sonipat, Superintendent of Police Rahul Sharma told reporters that the Haryana Police had received some information from the Punjab Police and intelligence agencies about the suspects, who hail from Sonipat and had previous criminal record.
The plan of the pro-Khalistan terrorist groups was to use them for carrying out targeted killings in Punjab and other places, and to create an atmosphere of terror, he said.
In the statement, a Haryana Police spokesperson said that the CIA team was probing the alleged links of one of the four accused with pro-Khalistani terrorists, and the presence of a huge quantity of illegal weapons at his house after receiving inputs about it.
Acting on this, the team swung into action and arrested the four people from Juan village in Sonipat district.
A case was registered against them under provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and under relevant provisions of the Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code in Mohana police station in Sonipat.
He said that preliminary investigations revealed that these illegal weapons were provided by pro-Khalistani terrorists, who are based abroad, along with large sums of money, which were deposited to their bank accounts.
The accused have admitted to have killed a person named Avtar Singh in Udhampur Kalan village of Punjab on the behest of pro-Khalistani terrorists. Further investigations are underway, the spokesperson said.
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