Eight sorties of drones in five days in the months of August and September in 2019 dropped arms, ammunition, explosives and fake Indian currency notes into Indian territory from across the border in Pakistan, said the National Investigation Agency (NIA). According to the agency, the aim was to revive terrorism and carry out a huge terror attack.
The NIA has made explosive claims of drones being used by proscribed terrorist organisation Khalistan Zindabad Force, (KZF) in its chargesheet filed in the case. The chargesheet has been filed against nine members of the outfit who have been accused of transporting the consignments into Punjab to execute a huge terrorist incident so that an atmosphere of disharmony, communal tension and instability is created in Punjab and other states.
The chargesheet has been filed against KZF members Akashdeep Singh alias Akash Sandhu, Balwant Singh and Romandeep Singh (residents of district Tarn Taran in Punjab) Harbhajan Singh, Gurdev Singh and Balbir Singh (from Hoshiarpur) Maan Singh from Gurdaspur, Shubhdeep Singh and Sajanpreet from Amritsar under various sections of IPC, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act , Arms Act and Explosives Act.
The probe began after the state special operation cell in Amritsar started working on information that Pakistan-based chief of KZF Ranjeet Singh alias Neeta, in connivance with Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga, had smuggled consignments of arms, ammunition, explosives and fake Indian currency notes (FICN) into the Indian territory via drones originating from across the border in Pakistan. These consignments had been received by their associates Akashdeep Singh, Balwant Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Balbir Singh and Subhdeep Singh based in India, said the NIA in its chargesheet.
Subsequently, accused Akashdeep Singh, Balwant Singh, Balbir Singh and Harbhajan Singh were arrested at Chohla Sahib in district Tarn Taran on September 22 along with huge cache of arms, ammunition, explosives, communication devices and FICN.
Further probe revealed that accused Akashdeep Singh was recruited to KZF by Maan Singh and Gurdev Singh and the conspiracy was hatched in Amritsar Central Jail during 2018-2019 when all three were in judicial custody in other crimes.
Investigations also revealed that the consignments were sent through a total of eight sorties of drones on five days in the month of August and September 2019. The consignments were received by accused Akashdeep Singh, Subhdeep Singh, Sajanpreet Singh and Romandeep Singh, said the NIA in its chargesheet .
The NIA said further investigation against absconding accused Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga and Ranjit Singh alias Neeta and other suspects is underway.
