A day after three alleged Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operatives were caught with nearly 6 kg of gelatin-stick explosives, a local court on Monday sent them to five-day police custody after the Chandigarh Police sought their custodial interrogation to trace the source of the explosives recovered from them and uncover the wider terror conspiracy allegedly being operated through foreign-based handlers.
Following the input, the police launched searches and used human intelligence and technical inputs to track the suspects. The operation cell had sought seven days police remand, telling the court that the accused would have to be taken to Punjab to identify and trace the source of the explosives and to investigate their supply chain. The court granted five days custody. The three men were arrested the next day. Lovepreet allegedly acted as the link between the handlers and the other accused, while Jashanpreet allegedly assisted in handling and moving the material. Prabhpreet allegedly provided operational support and was in contact with a handler identified by police as Gurlal. He allegedly received instructions regarding the planned attack and coordinated the movement of the explosives.
The accused Lovepreet Singh, 19, of Sarhali, Tarn Taran; Jashanpreet Singh alias Jashandeep, 21, of Deobath, Tarn Taran; and Prabhpreet Singh alias Prabh, 19, of Tarsikka, Amritsar were arrested on Sunday by the operation cell in coordination with a central agency. Police recovered around 6 kg of gelatin-stick explosives, a detonator, power source and remotely operated system, besides a pistol, one magazine and five live cartridges. The case was registered on August 22 after the police received information that Lovepreet and Jashanpreet were allegedly in contact with persons involved in terrorist activities operating from abroad and were carrying a substantial quantity of explosives. They were suspected of planning to plant an improvised explosive device at Chandigarh’s Sector 42/43 area. He also has a previous case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, (NDPS Act) registered in Tarn Taran.
The accused were allegedly functioning as ground level operatives of a BKI module and had been assigned specific roles by foreign-based handlers, according to investigators. Police said Lovepreet, a painter, had established contact with alleged BKI handlers Ashu and Satta through social media and communication platforms.
