Ram Temple Inauguration: A man allegedly having Khalistan links was arrested along with his two aides while doing ‘recce’ in Ayodhya ahead of the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Temple, as reported by news agency IANS on Sunday. The person who was arrested was identified as Shankar Lal Dussad.
According to IANS, Dussad initially tried to mislead the cops by posing as a follower of Lord Ram. According to ATS officials, he had installed a saffron flag on his SUV. Dussad and his two aides, Ajit Kumar Sharma and Pradeep Puniya, were intercepted on Wednesday night.
While narrating the sequence of events in an FIR registered at the ATS police station in Lucknow, ATS inspector Gyanendra Pratap Singh said, “During interrogation, he reiterated that he came for darshan of Ram Lalla as he is a big follower of Shri Ram. Dussad was brought to UP ATS headquarters in Lucknow on Thursday morning and interrogated in the afternoon. But he kept repeating the same thing,” as quoted by IANS.
Singh also stated that an FIR was registered under Indian Penal Code sections 121-A (conspiracy to commit an offence), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing anything), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy).
According to the official, Dussad confessed to his tainted background as well as his links with Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Gurupatwant Singh Pannu through other Canada-based arms smugglers, Lakhwinder Singh Landa and Sukhwinder Singh Sukkha, as reported by IANS. He further stated that Dussad was in regular touch with Landa and others through chat applications and internet calls to take orders from them.
Dussad was released on bail from Central Jail, Bikaner, on May 15, 2023, after spending over seven years since March 21, 2016, ATS officials said.
While staying in Bikaner jail, Dussad forged links with Khalistani groups when he met prisoner Lakhbinder Singh, who asked him to meet his nephew Pumma, through whom he came in touch with Canada-based Khalistani leader Sukhbinder Singh Sukkha, the officials further stated.