Satendra was providing critical and confidential information to ISI handlers in exchange for financial gains.
Tag: ISI
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Punjab police bust ISI-backed terror module; 2 operatives held
By PTI
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police on Friday claimed to have busted an ISI-backed terror module jointly handled by Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and Pakistan-based gangster Harvinder Singh Rinda with the arrest of two of its operatives.
Lakhbir Singh is considered to be a close aide of Harvinder Singh, who had joined hands with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and the duo has close ties with the ISI, a Punjab police statement said here.
Lakhbir Singh had played a key role in conspiring the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack at Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali in May and also planted an IED under the car of Sub Inspector Dilbag Singh in Amritsar.
The arrested operatives have been identified as Baljit Singh Malhi (25) of Jogewal village and Gurbaksh Singh alias Gora Sandhu of Buh Gujran village in Ferozepur.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said in an operation led by Additional Inspector General (counter-intelligence), Jalandhar, Navjot Singh Mahal, police teams arrested the duo and seized one AK-56 assault rifle along with two magazines, 90 cartridges and two bullet shells from a location pinpointed by Gurbaksh Singh at his village.
Yadav said preliminary investigations revealed that Malhi was in touch with Italy-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Sanghera, and on latter’s directions, Baljit Singh had picked a consignment of weapons from Makhu-Lohian road in Sudan village in July 2022.
Later, they concealed the consignment in fields owned by Gurbaksh Singh after conducting test fires, he added.
The DGP said it has also been ascertained that Baljit Singh was in direct contact with dreaded gangsters, including Canada-based Lakhbir Landa and Arsh Dalla.
Further investigations are on and more recoveries of weapons are expected soon, he added.
Yadav said the war against gangsters waged by Punjab Police on directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will continue till Punjab emerges as a gangster-free state.
Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act at the State Special Operation Cell at Amritsar.
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police on Friday claimed to have busted an ISI-backed terror module jointly handled by Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and Pakistan-based gangster Harvinder Singh Rinda with the arrest of two of its operatives.
Lakhbir Singh is considered to be a close aide of Harvinder Singh, who had joined hands with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and the duo has close ties with the ISI, a Punjab police statement said here.
Lakhbir Singh had played a key role in conspiring the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack at Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali in May and also planted an IED under the car of Sub Inspector Dilbag Singh in Amritsar.
The arrested operatives have been identified as Baljit Singh Malhi (25) of Jogewal village and Gurbaksh Singh alias Gora Sandhu of Buh Gujran village in Ferozepur.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said in an operation led by Additional Inspector General (counter-intelligence), Jalandhar, Navjot Singh Mahal, police teams arrested the duo and seized one AK-56 assault rifle along with two magazines, 90 cartridges and two bullet shells from a location pinpointed by Gurbaksh Singh at his village.
Yadav said preliminary investigations revealed that Malhi was in touch with Italy-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Sanghera, and on latter’s directions, Baljit Singh had picked a consignment of weapons from Makhu-Lohian road in Sudan village in July 2022.
Later, they concealed the consignment in fields owned by Gurbaksh Singh after conducting test fires, he added.
The DGP said it has also been ascertained that Baljit Singh was in direct contact with dreaded gangsters, including Canada-based Lakhbir Landa and Arsh Dalla.
Further investigations are on and more recoveries of weapons are expected soon, he added.
Yadav said the war against gangsters waged by Punjab Police on directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will continue till Punjab emerges as a gangster-free state.
Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act at the State Special Operation Cell at Amritsar.
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Ansari’s rebuttals: Asserts he never invited Pak journalist Nusrat Mirza to any conference
By PTI
NEW DELHI: In the face of a fresh attack by the BJP, ex-vice president Hamid Ansari on Friday said he stands by his previous statement that he never knew or invited Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza to any conference.
Mirza has claimed that he had visited India five times during the UPA rule and passed on sensitive information collected here to his country’s spy agency ISI.
Mirza purportedly commented that he had visited India on Ansari’s invitations and also met him. Ansari, however, has dismissed the charge as a “litany of falsehood”.
The BJP on Friday stepped up its attack on the Congress over the matter and cited a photograph of Ansari and Mirza purportedly sharing the stage during a 2009 conference in India on terrorism.
“The former Vice President of India stands by his earlier statement that he never knew or invited Pakistan journalist Nusrat Mirza to any conference, including the 2010 conference mentioned by Nusrat Mirza or 2009 conference on terrorism or on any other occasion,” a statement from Ansari’s office said.
Statement of Sh. Hamid Ansari, former Vice President of India on the falsehood unleashed by BJP spokesperson.Sh. Hamid Ansari never invited or met Nusrat Mirza in any capacity- official or personal. pic.twitter.com/lwCHNiYDIZ
— Gurdeep Singh Sappal (@gurdeepsappal) July 13, 2022
Rebutting the BJP’s claim of inviting Mirza, Ansari had a couple of days earlier said it is a known fact that invitations to foreign dignitaries by the Vice-President of India are on the advice of the government, generally through the Ministry of External Affairs.Clips of Pakistani journalist Mirza’s interview in Pakistan have been doing the rounds on social media for the last few days in which he stated that he attended a seminar on terrorism in India in which Ansari spoke.
Mirza also claimed to have given secret and classified information to the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
NEW DELHI: In the face of a fresh attack by the BJP, ex-vice president Hamid Ansari on Friday said he stands by his previous statement that he never knew or invited Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza to any conference.
Mirza has claimed that he had visited India five times during the UPA rule and passed on sensitive information collected here to his country’s spy agency ISI.
Mirza purportedly commented that he had visited India on Ansari’s invitations and also met him. Ansari, however, has dismissed the charge as a “litany of falsehood”.
The BJP on Friday stepped up its attack on the Congress over the matter and cited a photograph of Ansari and Mirza purportedly sharing the stage during a 2009 conference in India on terrorism.
“The former Vice President of India stands by his earlier statement that he never knew or invited Pakistan journalist Nusrat Mirza to any conference, including the 2010 conference mentioned by Nusrat Mirza or 2009 conference on terrorism or on any other occasion,” a statement from Ansari’s office said.
Statement of Sh. Hamid Ansari, former Vice President of India on the falsehood unleashed by BJP spokesperson.
Sh. Hamid Ansari never invited or met Nusrat Mirza in any capacity- official or personal. pic.twitter.com/lwCHNiYDIZ
— Gurdeep Singh Sappal (@gurdeepsappal) July 13, 2022
Rebutting the BJP’s claim of inviting Mirza, Ansari had a couple of days earlier said it is a known fact that invitations to foreign dignitaries by the Vice-President of India are on the advice of the government, generally through the Ministry of External Affairs.Clips of Pakistani journalist Mirza’s interview in Pakistan have been doing the rounds on social media for the last few days in which he stated that he attended a seminar on terrorism in India in which Ansari spoke.
Mirza also claimed to have given secret and classified information to the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
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BJP uses photo to back its claim of Ansari’s connection with Pak journalist spying for ISI
By PTI
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday stepped up its attack on the Congress over ex-vice president Hamid Ansari’s alleged connection with a Pakistani journalist and cited a photograph of both purportedly sharing stage during a conference in India.
Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza has claimed that he had visited India five times during the UPA rule and passed on sensitive information collected here to his country’s spy agency ISI. Mirza purportedly commented that he had visited India on Ansari’s invitations and also met him.
Ansari, however, has dismissed the charge as a “litany of falsehood” and said he never met or invited the journalist.
Earlier, citing Mirza’s claims that Ansari shared many “sensitive and highly classified” information with him, the BJP had accused the former vice president of inviting the Pakistani journalist to India who has claimed to have spied for the ISI.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters on Friday, the party’s national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia showed a picture of Ansari purportedly sharing a stage with Mirza at a conference on terrorism here in 2009.
People holding constitutional posts should act responsibly and should have not shared the stage with Mirza, Bhatia said.
Hitting out at the Congress, Bhatia said intelligence clearance is required for holding such programmes and inviting dignitaries from abroad.
For a programme of someone holding a constitutional post, protocol dictates that his office gathers information about those involved in the event.
In such a situation, would it not be correct to believe that the Congress wanted a person from Pakistan to enter India and hurt its integrity, he alleged.
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday stepped up its attack on the Congress over ex-vice president Hamid Ansari’s alleged connection with a Pakistani journalist and cited a photograph of both purportedly sharing stage during a conference in India.
Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza has claimed that he had visited India five times during the UPA rule and passed on sensitive information collected here to his country’s spy agency ISI. Mirza purportedly commented that he had visited India on Ansari’s invitations and also met him.
Ansari, however, has dismissed the charge as a “litany of falsehood” and said he never met or invited the journalist.
Earlier, citing Mirza’s claims that Ansari shared many “sensitive and highly classified” information with him, the BJP had accused the former vice president of inviting the Pakistani journalist to India who has claimed to have spied for the ISI.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters on Friday, the party’s national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia showed a picture of Ansari purportedly sharing a stage with Mirza at a conference on terrorism here in 2009.
People holding constitutional posts should act responsibly and should have not shared the stage with Mirza, Bhatia said.
Hitting out at the Congress, Bhatia said intelligence clearance is required for holding such programmes and inviting dignitaries from abroad.
For a programme of someone holding a constitutional post, protocol dictates that his office gathers information about those involved in the event.
In such a situation, would it not be correct to believe that the Congress wanted a person from Pakistan to enter India and hurt its integrity, he alleged.
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Alert in Assam over threats from ISI, al-Qaeda
By PTI
GUWAHATI: The Assam Police have sounded an alert over possible terror strikes by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and terror outfit al-Qaeda over alleged persecution of Muslims in the state.
A circular issued by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) on Saturday said the alert has been issued following reports received from the Special Branch of the state police.
The circular said the ISI is planning to target ‘individuals including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) cadres and army areas in Assam and other places in India’.
There is also a “threat from global terror outfits to indulge in spectacular action by resorting to explosion of bombs/ IEDs in places of mass gathering/ mass transport/ religious places, etc”.
Another input quoted in the circular said the al-Qaeda has called for ‘jihad in Assam and Kashmir’.
The circular further said the general secretariat of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has released a statement regarding the Dhalpur eviction drive in Assam’s Darrang district, which had claimed the lives of two persons.
Over 20 people were injured, including policemen, in the anti-encroachment drive against ‘illegal settlers’ at Dhalpur in September.
In the statement released through Twitter, the OIC has condemned the systematic persecution and violence ramped up against the Muslim community in Assam’.
Given the inputs, the state’s entire police machinery has been asked to take preventive and precautionary measures to thwart any evil design by ‘global terror outfits and fundamental/ radical elements’.
All ground sources and intelligence gathering machinery have been asked to be geared up in the districts.
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J&K militants attempting to recreate early 1990 situation, scare minorities: Experts
Express News Service
SRINAGAR: Security experts are sensing a shift in the pattern of militant violence in Jammu and Kashmir as four non-Muslim civilians have been gunned down in the Valley in the last five days. They feel the militants are aiming to create fear among minority communities and recreate the situation of early 1990s in Kashmir.
“Yes, there is a pattern in the violence. It is to create panic and gain relevance on the part of militant organisations functioning under the ISI’s umbrella,” Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain told TNIE.
He said the militants outfits could be aiming to recreate the situation of the early 1990s, whereby political Islam could be brought to bear through the purging of minorities. “It may have succeeded then to an extent but we are far stronger today to not fall prey to the designs of our adversaries,” said Lt Gen Hasnain, who had also served as GoC of Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps.
Retired J&K police chief S P Vaid said militants kept on changing their plans. “First they were targeting BJP leaders and now they are targeting minority community members. They want to spread fear and terror,” he said. Vaid said there was a clear change in the pattern of violence as militants wanted to prevent their own casualties by avoiding direct confrontation with security personnel and targeting soft targets. The former police chief said killings would continue till the militant group involved in such killings was neutralised.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said due to the killing of large number of militants, their handlers across got frustrated and changed their strategy. “In all such cases, militants have been using pistols. These acts are committed by newly recruited militants or those who are about to join militant rank.”
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Railways sound alert in 13 Bihar districts against threat by ISI-backed terror outfits
Express News Service
PATNA: The ISI-backed terrorists’ outfits can target the railway bridges and the tracks in Bihar’s many districts, according to two suspected ISI agents arrested in New Delhi.
Acting on this intelligence inputs gathered from the two arrested in New Delhi, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Samastipur division of East Central Railway in Bihar has sounded alert across 13 districts, which share an international border.
In an official letter to the railway police of Bihar’s 13 districts, the divisional Security Commissioner of RPF of Samastipur division of ECR, has asked the Railway Police to maintain maximum surveillance and vigilance.
The railway police including the RPF and the GRP are on high alert following an apprehension that ISI-backed terror outfits can plot subversive activities with the rail bridges and tracks in districts namely Samastipur, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Motihari, Bettiah, Muzaffarpur, Khagaria, Madhubani, Begusarai, Saharsa, Madhepura and Purnia. In the letter, which is in the possession of TNIE, the concerned security agencies have been alerted to remain high alert taking all preventive and protective actions under special supervision.
It has been learnt from the arrested suspects caught by the Delhi Police that there is an intention to conduct RDX blasts on bridges, culverts, railway tracks, crowded spots in various places of the country including in the three Bihar districts.
In the days to come with the Durga puja and Chhath festival around the corner, train commutations increase in Bihar. Railway sources said that the security of many areas of railway bridges and culverts and tracks is the responsibility of the state government. Hence, a letter has been written to the Superintendents of Government Rail Police (GRP) to strengthen the security system on the basis of the report.
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Punjab on alert after arrests of more terrorists
Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: Punjab is on high alert after the arrest of four more members of an ISI-backed terrorist module. The module was involved in a bid to blow up an oil tanker with an improvised explosive device installed inside a tiffin box last month.
Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta said two Pak-based terrorists, including a Pakistani Intelligence Officer, have also been identified and nominated in the case in which one person was arrested earlier. Taking a serious note of the increased attempts by terror groups to disturb the state’s peace, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has directed the police to be on high alert, particularly in view of schools and educational institutions reopening, as well as the festival season and the Assembly polls coming up.
He has asked the DGP to ensure that high-level security arrangements are put in place, especially in busy places, such as markets etc, as well as at sensitive installations across the state. Giving details of the arrests, Gupta identified Pakistan-based ISYF Chief Lakhbir Singh and Qasim, a resident of Pakistan, and Lakhbir Singh Rode a native of Rode, a village in the Moga district, who is currently based in Pakistan, as being behind the terror module. Those arrested on Tuesday have been identified as Rubal Singh of Bhakha Tara Singh village, Vicky Bhutti of Ballharwal, Malkeet Singh of Ugar Aulakh and Gurpreet Singh of Uggar Aulakh.
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Afghanistan crisis: Indian officials see cause for concern in Al-Qaeda call to liberate Islamic lands
By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The inclusion of Kashmir and exclusion of Chechnya and Xinjiang in Al-Qaeda’s statement calling for “global jihad” to liberate “Islamic lands” shows Pakistan’s ISI link with Al-Qaeda, government sources said on Thursday.
They added that the terror outfit’s statement of “global jihad” to liberate “Islamic lands” after the last American soldier left Afghanistan on August 31 midnight is a cause for concern for India.
An official in the security establishment pointed out Kashmir was earlier never a priority for Taliban, which was congratulated by Al-Qaeda on Tuesday for their swift takeover of Afghanistan.
“The latest Al-Qaeda statement exposes ISI’s hand. The statement is ought to encourage Pakistan-based terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad to plan attacks in India. But the security agencies are on high alert to detect possible anti-national activities,” the official said.
Another senior government functionary said the government is monitoring developments in Afghanistan.
“Government is aware that Al-Qaeda is trying to radicalise Muslims in the world. We believe Pakistan is pushing ahead its agenda through Al-Qaeda,” he said.
According to sources, Pakistan has made its hand evident behind controlling Ayman Al Zawahiri, the chief of Al-Qaeda. Security agencies believe even Taliban’s Supreme Commander Haibatullah Akhundzada is reportedly in the custody of Pakistan’s ISI.
Chechnya in Russia and China’s Xinjiang being kept out from the targets of “liberation” through jihad is significant.
“Liberate the Levant, Somalia, Yemen, Kashmir and the rest of the Islamic lands from the clutches of the enemies of Islam. O’ Allah! Grant freedom to Muslim prisoners across the world,” read Al-Qaeda’s statement.
Security experts — including army veterans and Jammu & Kashmir cops — had told this newspaper that the recent developments in Afghanistan will have implications in the insurgency in Jammu & Kashmir. Home ministry officials also spoke about this.