Chandigarh, Feb 2 (IANS): Punjab Police has averted planned target killings with the arrest of Harpreet Singh alias Happy Baba of Tarn Taran, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said here on Friday.

The accused has been facing criminal cases pertaining murder and attempt to murder.

Police teams have also recovered a .30 bore automatic pistol along with a magazine and three cartridges from his possession.

DGP Yadav said the arrested accused is an operative of most-wanted gangster Harpreet Singh, who was hatching a conspiracy to execute target killings to disturb the peace and communal harmony in the state and assigned the former to accomplish this task in lieu of money.

“Accused Happy Baba is also one of the biggest weapon suppliers in Punjab, and was closely associated with weapon suppliers of Madhya Pradesh," he said.

The development came 25 days after Counter Intelligence of Jalandhar had arrested Vikramjit Singh after recovering two pistols along with ammunition from his possession.

Sharing more details, Assistant Inspector General, Counter Intelligence, Navjot Singh Mahal said during questioning, Happy Baba confessed his involvement in inter-state smuggling of illicit weapons after smuggling them from Madhya Pradesh. Since 2020-21, he has sold at least 100 illicit weapons in the area of Tarn Taran and Amritsar.

Further investigations are on, he added.