- Earlier, Sarabjit Singh was apprehended with two hand grenades and two pistols
Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) has arrested Bikramjit Singh, an associate of Sarabjit Singh, from Gujarat in connection with a major arms smuggling and terror-linked case in Punjab.
Earlier, Sarabjit Singh was apprehended with two hand grenades and two pistols. During the investigation, it was revealed that both Sarabjit Singh and Bikramjit Singh were in contact with notorious Pakistani don Shahzad Bhatti.
Security agencies have uncovered that Bhatti, through his operatives, was allegedly planning terrorist attacks at several key locations across Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. Reports suggest that dangerous weapons such as hand grenades, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs) were being smuggled into India via ISI channels.
According to Punjab Police intelligence officials, Bikramjit Singh, a resident of Nangal Pannuan village under Majitha police station in Amritsar rural, had been operating from Gujarat and receiving weapon consignments from across the border. His associate, Sarabjit Singh from Tarn Taran, was responsible for storing and distributing these arms.
Acting on specific inputs, SSOC teams conducted raids and first arrested Sarabjit Singh, recovering explosives and firearms from his possession. Simultaneously, another team was dispatched to Gujarat, where Bikramjit Singh was arrested without alerting him about his accomplice’s capture.
Police sources revealed that Bikramjit Singh had no prior criminal record. However, his mobile phone has provided crucial evidence, including conversations with Shahzad Bhatti.
Following his arrest, central agencies have also joined the investigation and are set to question Bikramjit Singh at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC). Meanwhile, Sarabjit Singh has been presented in court and remanded to two days of police custody.
Police have intensified raids to nab other members of the network. Both Bikramjit Singh and Shahzad Bhatti have now been named in the case along with Sarabjit Singh. Investigators believe that around a dozen associates linked to the gang are spread across districts from Gurdaspur to Ferozepur, possibly holding a large cache of weapons.
Authorities are continuing efforts to dismantle the network and recover all illegal arms.