Punjab police nabs ISI-backed radicalized youth; successfully averts lone wolf attack in state

Chandigarh, April 6: Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested a radicalized Sikh Youth Inderjit Singh and averted a major lone wolf attack in the state. Notably, Inderjit Singh was trained in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with the help of Pakistan’s spy agency ISI.

 

Punjab police acting on a specific input arrested a highly educated but radicalized Sikh Youth Inderjit Singh alias Rinku who was trained by ISIS in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and averted a major lone wolf attack in the state. Inderjit Singh who is a resident of Faridabad was nabbed from SAS Nagar. However, police has also recovered explosive materials, including chemicals and advanced electronic remote controls from his possession.

A case has been registered against him u/s 17, 18, 20 Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act and 3, 4, 5 Explosive Substances Act at Police Station SSOC, Mohali. Further investigations are in progress to unravel the entire conspiracy.

According to a police spokesperson, preliminary interrogation of the suspect has revealed that he was acting at the behest of his ISI handlers, who had tasked him to carry out blasts in Punjab with explosives made from locally available chemicals and devices, procured from online marketing websites.

The explosive materials recovered from his possession included Digital Remote Control (Multifunctional type), Light Remote Control (02), and various other materials including chemicals. The explosive material and the accessories were found concealed in his vehicle, which he had used for traveling from Faridabad to SAS Nagar.

During interrogation, Inderjit, currently working with a JCB Company at Faridabad, revealed that he was contacted by the ISI officers on Facebook about two years ago and since then he had been interacting with them and learning to make explosives with DIY (Do It Yourself) kits.

Investigations indicate that Pakistani Intelligence officers had chosen him because of his posts and profile on social media, and they went on to further radicalize him.

The spokesperson also noted that the Pak Intelligence officers who radicalized Inderjit were also actively coordinating and networking the terror module that was busted by the Counter Intelligence Wing, Punjab Police on May 29, 2017. The mastermind of that terror module, Harbarinder Singh, a resident of Mohali, was also in contact with Inderjit Singh through Facebook.

After Harbarinder Singh’s arrest, Inderjit was operating as a lone wolf and was procuring material from online marketing websites to make an IED. The spokesperson said Inderjit was highly radicalized and motivated to carry out terrorist activities.