Babbar Khalsa terrorist and ISI module arrested in joint op by UPSTF and Punjab police

Lucknow/Kushambi: An active member of Khalistani terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and a module of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been arrested in a joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Punjab Police from Kokhraj area of Kaushambi district here in UP on Thursday, a top police officer said.

Talking to the reporters Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar said that in a major success the STF in a joint operation with the Punjab Police arrested the active terrorist of BKI and ISI module Lajar Masih was arrested from Sakahda trisection under Kokhraj police station in Kaushambi district.

He said that 3 active hand grenade, 2 active detonators and jiletin rods, 1 USSR made pistol, 13 foreign cartridges, 1 mobile phone without SIM card and 1 Aadhar card with fake address were recovered from the arrested terrorist. "On December 23. 2024, three Khalistani terrorists were killed in an encounter with Pilibhit and Punjab police and a huge cache of ammunition was recovered from their possession. The slain terrorists were involved in several terror operations in Punjab," he said.

Kumar said as a reaction Khalistani terrorist Gurupatwant Singh, who resides in New York City in US and is wanted by the Indian agencies, threatened to execute a terror attack during Maha Kumbh. "For the security of the Maha Kumbh special units of UP police and central forces were deployed and the force was put on high alert across the state," he said.

He said that during investigation the STF received information about the presence of the terrorist linked with the BKI and absconder Lajar, a resident of Makowal under Ramdas police station in Amritsar, in UP was received.

The DGP said that during information collection it was revealed that Lajar got an Aadhar card on the basis of fake documents. "It was also revealed that he was trying to get a passport on the basis of the fake Aadhar card. Information was received that he has huge cache of ammunition and was planning to execute a terror operation during Prayagraj Maha Kumbh," he said.

An STF spokesman said that during interrogation it was revealed that Lajar is not a Sikh, instead his parents are converted. "It was revealed that Lajar, who was in contact with three ISI agents in Pakistan, was jailed in connection with smuggling of arms and contraband. While in jail he received injuries during a gang war in the prison and was admitted to Guru Nanakdev hospital in Amritsar from where Lajar escaped on September 24, 2024," he said.

He said that it was revealed that after fleeing from the jail, Lajar, shot a person in Batala in Punjab for ransom on the instructions of the head of German based BKI module Swarn Singh alias Jeevan Fauji. "After committing the crime he went underground and was living in Delhi and Sonipat in hiding.

The spokesman said that Lajar was planning to flee to Portugal on the basis of the fake passport after executing a major incident in UP. "He used to receive arms, grenades and contraband from Pakistan by drones through the Punjab border. Lajar even told this to mafia Atiq Ahmad that the ISI was sending arms and ammunition in India through drones on the Punjab border," he said.