Punjab police busts terror module backed by mastermind Iqbal Preet Buchi

CHANDIGARH: In a major breakthrough, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Punjab Police has busted a terror module operated by foreign-based mastermind Iqbalpreet Singh alias Buchi with the arrest of four module members including key operative Gurwinder Singh alias Shera, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.

As per the information, accused Gurwinder Shera, who was presently out on bail, was earlier arrested by the AGTF in 2022 for conspiring target killings on the directions of Iqbalpreet Buchi, who had paid him Rs 1.50 lakh to execute target killings in the state.

The other three arrested module members have been identified as Gurpreet Singh of Patiala, Ranjit Singh alias Sonu and Jagjit Singh alias Jashan of Patti, both residents of Patti in Tarn Taran. Police teams have also recovered three pistols along with 13 live cartridges from their possession, besides impounding their Mahindra Scorpio car.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that acting on the reliable inputs, AGTF teams under the supervision of ADGP Promod Ban laid a Naka at Liberty Chowk in Rajpura. Police teams headed by AIG Gurmeet Singh Chauhan and AIG Sandeep Goel and led by DSP Bikramjit Singh Brar managed to arrest them when they were travelling in their Mahindra Scorpio car, he said.

He said that during the interrogation, Gurwinder Shera revealed that Iqbalpreet Buchi had regrouped their gang and was planning to commit sensational crimes in Punjab to disturb the hard-earned peace and harmony of the border state.

Pertinently, Iqbalpreet Buchi was in touch with deceased terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and is also a close associate of Ramandeep Bagga alias Canadian, who was a main shooter in seven target killings that took place during 2016-2017, and he has been facing 11 criminal cases pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act etc. Presently, Bagga is lodged in Tihar Jail.

Sharing more details, AIG Sandeep Goel said that further investigations are on to ascertain the involvement of more members in this radicalised group. More arrests are expected, he added.

A case FIR no. 21 dated 13/05/02024 has been registered under section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 25(6)(7) of the Arms Act Police Station State Crime in SAS Nagar.