New Delhi: The investigations being conducted by security agencies in the country have revealed that many Khalistani terrorists and gangsters based in Punjab, instead of directly communicating with each other, call up an associate based abroad, who links them up with their other associates in Punjab. “They (terrorists and gangsters) connect to each other via their foreign-based handlers. It’s the latest modus operandi of the terrorist organisations and gangsters to evade the law enforcing agencies,” a senior intelligence official told ETV Bharat on Monday.
The slain gangster Jaipal Bhullar used his Australia-based associate Gurjant Singh Junta to communicate with his associates in Punjab and other places in neighbouring States. The investigation has further revealed that pro-Khalistani activists have been using virtual numbers or temporary mails and IPs based in Pakistan and the US to spread Khalistani propaganda.
“Social media is being widely used to spread Khalistani propaganda. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are flooded with accounts, which are being created using virtual numbers or temporary mails or from IPs based in Pakistan and the US from which Khalistani propaganda is being spread. The frontrunner in this is the unlawful association Sikhs for Justice,” the official said, quoting an intelligence report.
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Security agencies believe that Twitter has been Khalistan propaganda's weapon of choice. “Incidents like Ludhiana court blast, tying of Khalistani flags to the gates of Himachal Pradesh Assembly were followed by the pro-Khalistan tweets from Twitter accounts originating from India, Pakistan and elsewhere,” the official said.
Several complaints are issued against posts of dissenters, which can lead to such accounts being suspended, the official said. “Encrypted social media applications like Telegram, Signal and Whatsapp are being used by Khalistani operatives to communicate with each other. Furthermore, new applications are being used frequently, which are not under the radar of law enforcement agencies,” the official said.
Giving reference, the official said that Goldy Brar, the mastermind of Sidhhu Moose Wala's murder used the Signal app. Whereas, gangster-turned-terrorist Arsh Dalla and his associates used the Wickr-me app to communicate with other associates. There is a wide prevalence of the use of virtual numbers and the anonymity of VPN by terrorists to hide their digital footprints from investigative agencies. “Also, many such elements generally ask to borrow hotspots from strangers or their harbourers. For example, Sukh Ghumman and his associates widely used hotspots for their network needs,” the intelligence report highlighted.
