Highly radicalised terrorist arrested in Punjab and not surprisingly link goes back to the UK

New Delhi, Nov 26: The Punjab Police made an important bust with the arrest of a highly radicalised terrorist who claimed that he was operating an outfit known as 'Kaum De Rakhe.'

'Kaum De Rakhe' was being used to collect funds under the garb of social work. The arrested operative Ranjit Singh told the police that it was through this group that he managed to get in touch with highly radicalised groups in the United Kingdom and the other countries. He also said that he extended help to set up sleeper cells under the garb of social work.

"Ranjit further disclosed that recently, he had received a consignment of arms and explosives and was planning to carry out a terror strike to create an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness in the border state (Punjab)," Director General of Police (DGP) Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota said.

Singh was arrested from the Sohal village in Tarn Tarn district. He was in touch with radical elements based in the UK and other nations through social media. The arrest comes at a time when Punjab is witnessing a huge inflow of arms through drones and other means from Pakistan.

The police have also recovered two Chinese-made P-86 hand grenades and two pistols along with live cartridges besides a black-coloured motorcycle from his possession.

The police during the investigation also learnt that Singh was part of a group that had vandalised statues of folk dancers installed at the heritage street leading up to the Golden Temple in Amritsar on January 15 2020. He had then been arrested, but had been granted bail.

The UK connection to terrorists from Punjab is nothing new. The Khalistan movement may not have got the desired traction in Punjab, but the same continues to thrive in the UK, Canada and other countries. Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that groups in countries abroad, particularly the UK and Canada offer ideological and monetary support to the movement.

Recently, thousands of protesters gathered outside the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom and displayed Khalistan flags. Paramjeet Panna, closely associated with the ISI funded Sikhs For Justice and members of the Sikh Federation, UK, which is associated with the Khalistan movement were part of the protests.

The ISI has for the past two decades made attempts to revive the Khalistan movement in India. Intelligence reports had also indicated that Pakistan based Khalistan groups were being pushed by their handlers to exploit the farmers' agitation in a bid to revive militancy in the state.

Since the early part of this decade, Pakistan has been funding the SJF promoted Referendum 2020 movement. In 2018 a module was busted in Punjab. It was found that this group was promoting Referendum 2020 and had planned on mass targeting. They even had their eyes set on an IPL game in Mohali.

It was also found that they were getting support from Europe and Pakistan. The Facebook page Referendum 2020 meant to promote the movement was set up by an ISI agent who went by the alias Fateh Singh, the police also learnt.

In the past few months several outfits such as the Babbar Khalsa, Khalistan Liberation Force, Khalistan Zindabad Force, ISYF and Khalistan Commando Force have come under the scanner. A meeting at the Nankana Sahib in Pakistan between these elements and the ISI also came under the scanner.