Strap: Step Taken After Arrest Of 3 Members Of Pro-Khalistan OutfitMeerut: Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday indicated at the “possibility” of several “sleeping modules” of terror outfits in Khadar region, a fertile belt along the Ganga River populated by prosperous Sikh community, a day after three members of a radical pro-Khalistan outfit were arrested in Shamli as they were allegedly plotting to assassinate former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his family members.Additional director general (ADG) of Meerut zone, Prashant Kumar, said: “We are not against any community. But Monday’s incident is an eye opener and we have to keep Khadar area on our radar.”However, the senior police officer also rued the lack of adequate police force to carry out effective surveillance.“It is indeed a challenging task. Huge shortfall in police force and lack of updated technology will hamper the operation,” he said.Revealing more details, a Bijnor-based senior police official said, “Entire UP is on high alert and there is indeed special focus on Khadar because of obvious reasons. After Shamli incident there is a possibility of many more sleeping modules in the region as there is a sizable Sikh population.”On Monday, Shamli Police arrested three persons wanted in the loot of police weapons including an assault rifle. Questioning revealed that they were aiding and supplying arms to another Khalistan sympathizer Jerman, who has ties with Khalistan movement.They “confessed” to plotting to kill Punjab leaders, including former CM Parkash Singh Badal, who were against the Khalistan movement. Their plan was to disrupt public rallies of these leaders in Punjab and attack them, the ADG had said.In 1986, during the height of Punjab militancy, the then UP government had ordered to conduct door-to-door campaign of 6.5 lakh Sikhs residing in Terai districts of the state.Notably, soon after the Nabha jailbreak in 2016, west UP had come under the radar of Punjab Police and was dubbed a safe haven for suspects linked to the banned outfit Babbar Khalsa International. Hours after Nabha jailbreak, main conspirator Parvinder Singh was arrested from Shamli. At least 10 armed men had broken into the premises of the high-security Nabha jail and freed six men, including Khalistan Liberation Force terrorist Harminder Mintoo, on November 27.

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