Expressindia Reports: 

Patiala, October 10 :  The city police have foiled an alleged bid by “human bombs” to attack Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and some other dera members, following the arrest of two persons, including a woman, suspected to be the alleged “human bombs or suicide attackers”.

Police officials said former Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) militant Bakhshish Singh was the mastermind behind this plot, and together he and his accomplices were planning to eliminate the dera chief. Police have arrested Bagicha Singh and Gobind Kaur.

Sources in the police told The Indian Express that an FIR under Sections 419, 420, 465, 471, 153-A, 108 and 120-B has been registered against four persons at police station Samana and more sections would be added in a few days after preliminary investigations are over. “The accused in the FIR are Bagicha Singh, Amarjeet Singh and Gobind Kaur, who procured mobile numbers on the basis of fake identity and were in touch with the fourth accused, Bakhshish Singh, through these connections,” reads the FIR. A senior police official confirmed that Bagicha Singh and Gobind Kaur had visited the dera at Sirsa and had stayed there for a few days, apparently to get inside information on the working of the dera. “Bagicha Singh was the mastermind along with Bakhshish and they were planning to eliminate the dera chief inside his dera and one of these accused could have been used as a suicide bomber,” he added. Investigating officer, SHO (City), Samana, Shaminder Singh confirmed that Qeorah village resident Gobind Kaur was actually used by the conspirators as the main tool that would actually lead them inside the dera in the near future. “We are further interrogating the arrested accused to ascertain their real motive but preliminary investigations have revealed that dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on their hit list,” he told ENS. When contacted, Patiala SSP S.K. Asthana said it would be too early to comment on the entire matter as it is very sensitive. “I would talk to the media tomorrow,” he said.

Bakhshish Singh was earlier a member of Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan and later joined KCF. He was out on bail since 2003 before the attack on the sect head, after which he went underground. DIG Patiala PS Gill confirmed that the arrested accused were planning a suicide attack on the dera chief.