On Saturday, Punjab Police arrested three more operatives of the Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist organization, which is allegedly backed by Pakistan’s ISI. These arrests are linked to the Nanded murder case, with the accused having strong ties to terrorist mastermind Harvinder Singh alias Rinda, based in Pakistan.
The arrested individuals were identified as Jagjit Singh and Shubham Khelbude, both from Nanded, Maharashtra, and Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Ropar in Punjab. During the arrest, police seized two weapons: a 12 bore pump-action gun with 15 cartridges and a .32 bore pistol with eight cartridges.
These arrests come after earlier arrests of Jagdish Singh, Shubhdeep Singh, and Sachindeep Singh in connection with the Nanded murder case. DGP Gaurav Yadav explained that Jagjit Singh played a pivotal role in providing logistical support, organizing safe houses, and coordinating the movement of shooters involved in the Nanded incident. This operation, allegedly masterminded by Rinda from Pakistan, was part of a broader criminal network.
Investigations have also revealed that Dilpreet, a jailed gangster and old associate of Rinda, helped arrange safe shelters in Punjab for the arrested operatives. Jagjit Singh is wanted in several cases related to murder, attempted murder, and extortion, while Shubham Khelbude faces charges in Nanded for extortion and threats. Gurdeep Singh was arrested for providing shelter and logistical assistance to Jagjit and Shubham.
The Nanded murder incident, which took place on February 10 this year, involved an attack on Gurmeet Singh, a local resident out on parole. Gurmeet, who was accused of the 2016 murder of Rinda’s brother, survived the attack, but his accomplice, Ravindra Rathod, died from his injuries.
Punjab Police continue to investigate the deeper connections between these operatives and their ties to international terrorist networks.
