Punjab Police busts Pak-linked BKI module; arrest one, seize six pistols

Punjab Police on Saturday said it has dismantled a Pakistan-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module operated by UK-based handler Dharam Singh alias Dharma Sandhu.
Police have arrested a local operative of the module and recovered six foreign-made pistols from his possession, DGP Gaurav Yadav said.
The accused has been identified as Onkar Singh alias Nawab, a resident of Jalalusma village in Amritsar district. The seized weapons, smuggled via drones from across the border, include four 9 mm Glock pistols and two .30 bore pistols, the DGP said.
Dharam Singh, who operated the terror module, is a close associate of Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh alias Rinda. Further investigation is underway to unearth the broader network of the module, the DGP said.
Sharing operation details, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the arrest followed precise intelligence inputs and coordination.
"During interrogation, the accused disclosed that the weapons delivered via drones were meant for disruptive activities," Yadav said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Onkar Singh was part of a sleeper cell activated by foreign-based handlers to destabilise the state.
"The weapons were meant to be distributed among local operatives to execute targeted killings and terror activities Punjab. We are working to uncover the entire network and its international linkages," Bhullar said.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

Five get life term in 1994 Etawah double murder case

Kanpur: The court in Etawah delivered a significant verdict on Friday concerning a double murder case dating back 30 years. Five people received life imprisonment sentences for killing Samajwadi Party-backed block head Ashok Kumar Yadav and village head Layaq Singh in 1994. Additional district judge (Anti-Dacoity Court) Ashok Kumar Dubey sentenced accused Ramesh Chandra, Sunil Kumar, Kuldeep, Shivnath, and Chandrajeet to life imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on each for committing murder. The killings took place on October 9, 1994, at Basgawa village under Basrehar police station, where the attackers shot both victims in broad daylight, and then fled with Ashok Yadav's licensed rifle and fired shots in the air to create panic. The case acquired considerable political importance as it occurred during the regime of the then chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party , which increased its significance locally and across the state. Initially, seven people were named as accused in the case. During the trial proceedings, two accused Saleti Singh and Mohar Singh, passed away. The court found the other five accused guilty of the offences. SSP Etawah Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, said, "This judgment shows the success of Operation Conviction and strengthens people's trust in the justice system. Assistant government advocate Kaushalendra Tomar represented the state on behalf of prosecution. The verdict in this 30-year old case has provided solace to the victims' families, the SSP said.

The Hindu

an hour ago

• The Hindu

Ahmedabad plane crash: 247 victims identified through DNA tests; 232 bodies given to kin as of June 21

A total of 247 victims of the horrific June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash have been identified through DNA tests so far and 232 bodies have been handed over to their families, officials said on Saturday (June 21, 2025). The authorities have asked the families of eight victims to submit the DNA samples of another relative, as the previous ones failed to match, they said. Police said the matching of DNA samples confirmed that Ahmedabad-based filmmaker Mahesh Jirawala, who was reported missing following the crash, died in the catastrophe. His mortal remains were handed over to his family. In Maharashtra, relatives and friends gave an emotional farewell to Deepak Pathak and Irfan Shaikh — two crew members of the ill-fated flight — at Badlapur in Thane district and in Pimpri-Chinchwad near Pune city respectively. The London-bound aircraft crashed into a hostel complex in Meghaninagar moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39 p.m. that day, killing 270 persons, including 241 on board. One passenger survived. Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition as the aircraft burst into flames or damaged on impact. 'Till Saturday evening, 247 DNA samples have matched. Relatives of these deceased were contacted. So far, mortal remains of 232 victims have been handed over to families. The process is continuing,' Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Rakesh Joshi said. The 247 victims who have been identified comprise 187 Indians, 52 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian, he said. Of the 187 Indians, a total of 175 were on board the ill-fated aircraft, he said, adding they belong to areas in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Diu and Nagaland. The state government had earlier stated that samples of 250 victims, including persons on board the ill-fated flight as well as those killed on the ground, were collected for identification. The families of eight victims have been asked to give a sample of another relative for DNA tests after the first one did not match, Dr. Joshi said. 'Unless there is a match, bodies cannot be handed over to the kin. When there is no match for a longer period of time, then you can ask for another sample from another relative. If one sibling has given the sample, then a sample of another sibling is sought for matching the DNA with that of the victim,' he said. 'We generally prefer a sample of father or son/daughter. If not, then we take a sample of another available member,' Dr. Joshi added.

Indian Express

an hour ago

• Indian Express

PMLA probe complete, asked banks to unfreeze accounts of bootlegger's brother: Gujarat Police tells HC

Nearly three years after the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) of the Gujarat police directed two banks to freeze accounts of a Vadodara-based businessman to investigate a proposed case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against his brother, a wanted alleged bootlegger, the cell informed the Gujarat High Court that it has requested the banks to 'unfreeze' the accounts as the investigation was complete. On Thursday, Justice HD Suthar of the Gujarat HC disposed of the petition filed by Rajesh Udhwani, a resident of Vadodara's Warasiya area and the brother of Vijay Udhwani, who had moved a Special Criminal Application through his advocate Rahul Sharma against the state of Gujarat, Director General and Inspector General of Police, SMC, and Vadodara city branches of two banks — Bank of Baroda and HDFC Bank – after his accounts were frozen in July 2022 at the directions of the SMC. On Thursday, as the petition came up for hearing, the government public prosecutor informed the court that the SMC, had, through a communication to the banks in April, directed that the two accounts held by Rajesh Udhwani be 'unfreezed' as the 'investigation was done'. The court, in an oral order, disposed of the petition and said, 'In view of the communication dated 29.04.2025 prepared by the Police Sub-Inspector, State Monitoring Cell, Gujarat State, the application stands disposed of as having become infructuous.' In his petition before the HC, the petitioner stated that he runs a liquor business in Rajasthan and a retail cloth store in Vadodara city. He challenged the seizure of his two bank accounts with the HDFC and the Bank of Baroda, which was effected by both banks in July 2022, on the directions of the SMC. The petition stated that Rajesh Udhwani 'has no criminal antecedent and is not involved in any criminal activity'. The petitioner had stated that he 'has reasons to believe that his bank accounts were seized because several offences under the Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949, have been registered against his brother.' Rajesh Udhawani's advocate Rahul Sharma told The Indian Express, 'The petition contended that seizure of bank accounts of any person, without there being any connection with any crime, is not permissible under law. There is also no reason for the police to suspect the commission of any crime. Therefore, the prayer was that the order of the SMC to seize the accounts of the petitioner be quashed and set aside and the petitioner be allowed to operate his bank account without any hindrance… The SMC had frozen the accounts without following the process of law.' In a letter sent to the manager of the banks in April, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, SMC, directed that the accounts be 'unfreezed'. The letter, which is now part of the annexures presented before the HC by the petitioner, and signed by Police Sub-inspector of SMC, said, 'An offence has been registered (in 2021)… for the purpose of PMLA (money laundering) proposal of the accused and to further investigate the case, the Investigating Officer JH Dahiya, Police Inspector SMC Gandhinagar, with cited reference letter, has examined account details of the accounts connected and familiar with the main accused… and after that the IO had requested your bank to freeze and mark this account as 'No Debit' till further instructions from his office… Investigation of the account has been done… so you are requested to unfreeze the account.' The petitioner's brother, Vijay Udhwani alias Viju Sindhi, is an alleged bootlegger who has multiple cases against him across the state as well as a red corner notice. Vijay has been on the run since his name cropped up in the murder of gangster Mukesh Harjani in Vadodara in 2016. In February, the SMC had booked Vijay under the GUCTOC Act along with his gang members in hundreds of collective cases. Vijay has challenged the FIR in the Gujarat HC.