Three militants held, RDX seized in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab police seized on Thursday over nine kg of RDX stuffed in two IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in Kapurthala district and arrested three persons owing allegiance to the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militant outfit. The consignment was allegedly smuggled from Pakistan at the behest of the ISI to cause resurgence of militancy in Punjab.

SSP Kapurthala Rakesh Aggarwal said Gurvinder Singh, Zora Singh and Paraminder Singh were planning to attack controversial Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh, besides targetting two other Dera chiefs in Ropar and Jalandhar districts.

The police also seized two timers, battery cells and other explosives and have sent them to the FSL for examination.

The SSP said the BKI members were part of a 12-man gang suspected behind the high-power explosion at a cinema hall in Ludhiana last month.

Aggarwal said the kingpin of the gang, Gurpreet Singh, had been on the run for the past two months after the police intercepted his car near Ludhiana and seized more than three kg of RDX. Gurpreet has received training in Pakistan.