Punjab Police on Tuesday claimed to have averted a “possible target killing” of prominent persons in the region with the arrest of four operatives of a terror module backed by Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda, and operated by USA-based gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia.

Sharing details, the state Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav identified the arrested accused persons as Vikramjit Singh alias Raja Bains of Batala; and Bawa Singh of Luddarh village in Amritsar; Gurkirpal Singh alias Gagan Randhawa; and Amanat Gill — both residents of Amritsar. Police teams have also recovered one .32 bore pistol along with 10 live cartridges from their possession, he added.

DGP Yadav said that following intelligence inputs about Rinda and Happy Passia planning to target some prominent persons in the state, and they have hired two shooters to accomplish this task, Police teams from State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), SAS Nagar, launched a special operation and nabbed two accused persons, including Vikramjit alias Raja Bains and Bawa Singh.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that gangster Happy Passia had a deal with accused Vikramjit to pay Rs 15 lakh for to carry out target killing, said the DGP, adding that the accused Vikramjit had also conducted the recce of the target in the last week of September 2023.

DGP Yadav said that the follow-up investigations suggested that the pistol and live rounds for Vikramjit were arranged by Happy Passia through his local associates identified as Gurkirpal Singh alias Gagan Randhawa, Hari Singh alias Harry and Amanat Gill, all residents of Amritsar.

“Following the disclosures of arrested accused persons, Police teams have also nabbed Gurkirpal Singh and Amanat Gill, while, Hari Singh managed to flee to abroad,” he added.

An FIR has already been registered under sections 17, 18 and 20 of the UAPA Act; sections 115, 153, 153A and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC); and section 25 of the Arms Act.