In a major blow to cross-border terror networks amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police has arrested two operatives of the banned terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), including the key shooter involved in Nanded murder case and recovered two .32 bore pistols along with five cartridges from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Jagdish Singh alias Jagga of Harike Pattan in Tarn Taran, the main shooter, and his accomplice Shubhdeep Singh alias Shubh, a resident of village Joneke in Tarn Taran. The operation was carried out by the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), SAS Nagar, based on credible intelligence inputs.
As per the information, the Nanded incident, which occurred near Gurdwara Gate No. 6 outside a Sikh colony on February 10 this year, targeted Gurmeet Singh, a local resident out on parole. Gurmeet, previously accused in the 2016 murder of Rinda’s brother, sustained injuries but survived.
However, his accomplice, Ravindra Rathod, succumbed to critical injuries after the attack. After carrying out the attack, accused Jagga returned to Punjab, where Shubhdeep alias Shubh facilitated his hideout and provided financial support.DGP Gaurav Yadav said that both the arrested persons were directly linked to Pak-based BKI terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda and USA-based Happy Passian.
He said that as per their initial disclosure, the accused Jagga confessed to have committed a murder and severely injured another in Nanded, Maharashtra, following Harwinder Rinda’s directions. Both the arrested accused persons were also instructed by their foreign-based handlers to carry out targeted killings in the state as part of a larger coordinated terror operation, he added.
The DGP said that further investigations are underway to establish backward and forward linkages in this case and expose the full network.Sharing operation details, AIG SSOC SAS Nagar Dr Simrat Kaur said that in an intelligence led operation, police teams had arrested Shubhdeep Singh alias Shubh on Friday from Sunny Enclave, Kharar and recovered one .32 bore pistol along with two cartridges from his possession.
During interrogation, accused Shubhdeep revealed his role in providing hideouts and logistical support to Jagdish Singh alias Jagga before, during, and after the Nanded murder, she said, while adding that acting on these leads, the SSOC team swiftly arrested Jagdish Singh alias Jagga from Phase 1 in Mohali. Police teams have recovered one .32 bore pistol along three live cartridges from his possession.
In this regard, a case FIR no 1 dated 21.02.2025 has been registered under section 25(1) B of the Arms act and sections 249 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station SSOC, SAS Nagar.