'Amritpal was targeting rogue ex-servicemen, youngsters to build terror outfit'

Radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh had been targeting drug addicts and rogue exservicemen to help him build a gang that could be easily transformed into a terrorist outfit officials here said on ThursdayGiving details of his journey and plans that he was likely to execute at the behest of Pakistans InterServices Intelligence ISI they said Amritpal Singh upon his return from Dubai started a drug deaddiction centre at his village Jallupur Kehra in Punjabs Amritsar districtIn a simultaneous operation he along with his men started looking for exservicemen who had been retired from the Army for bad behaviour so that they could be used for imparting arms training the officials saidImmediately after his return last year and he taking over the Waris Punjab De outfit after the death of actoractivist Deep Sidhu Amritpal Singh had a cover of two private security officers and by early this year the number had gone up to 16The surprising part was that seven of his personal security officers were youngsters who had joined his drug deaddiction centre for rehabilitation the officials said adding that during their stay there for treatment they had been imparted trainingThe youngsters admitted at the deaddiction centre were brainwashed and pushed towards gun culture and also incited to choose the path of slain terrorist Dilawar Singh who blew himself up and killed former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh they saidTargeting rogue exservicemen was beneficial for the proKhalistan preacher as they already had arms licences which could help his organisation to evade the law the officials saidTwo such exservicemen identified as Varinder Singh of the 19 Sikhs and Talwinder Singh of the 3rd Armoured Punjab were instrumental in providing arms training to the youngsters who were addicted to drugs they saidAlso read Haryana woman who harboured Amritpal his associate nabbed claims PoliceThe licences were cancelled by the administration subsequently and Varinder Singh was arrested while Taliwinder Singh is still at large the officials saidSecurity agencies had raised a red flag after intelligence inputs suggested that Amritpal Singh was using drug deaddiction centres and a gurudwara for stocking weapons besides preparing youngsters to carry out suicide attacks the officials saidA thick dossier prepared with inputs from various security agencies claimed that Amritpal Singh was mainly engaged in preparing the youngsters to become Khadkoos terroristsDuring investigation arms and ammunition meant for the socalled Anandpur Khalsa Fauj AKF a creation of Amritpal Singh were seized Uniforms and jackets were also confiscated by police the officials saidThey added that the weapons and ammunition seized from the radical Sikh preachers car also bore AKF markings on it The officials said weapons were being stored in several of deaddiction centres run by Waris Punjab De as well as at the Jallupur Khera Gurdwara in AmritsarAmritpal Singh had attended a Shaheedi Samagam of killed terrorists where he termed them martyrs of the Panth and promoted gun culture and glorified use of weaponsThe preacher is on the run after the Punjab Police arrested several of his supporters in a major crackdown that began weeks after the storming of the Ajnala police station near Amritsar to secure the release of an arrested associate The episode had raised fears over the possibility of the return of Khalistani militancy to the state that borders PakistanThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever