Chandigarh: Chandigarh Police has closed 1297 internet media accounts suspected to be hard core criminals and gangsters involved in terrorism and Khalistani activities. Information also reveals that there are still 591 other such accounts on the police radar. Since past about a year, a joint team of Cyber Cell, Operation Cell and CID has identified these accounts which includes accounts posting in support of Khalistan and also including gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Sampat Nehra, Raju Bisaudi, Kala Rana Jathedi, Neeraj Bawana, Devendra Bambiha Group and a long list of many others..
Ketan Bansal, SP City Police Chandigarh said that the youths are being attracted towards criminal activities through IDs operated in the name of gangsters. Police also believe that after incidents like gang war, the trend of using internet media among criminals to establish their influence is now becoming common and the internet media is also being used by terrorist organizations and Khalistan supporters for spreading anti-India agenda and lure young generations to adopt a career of antisocial activities. Information also reveals that such hard core criminals are getting drugs supplied through ISI Pakistan in order to make the young generation in Punjab as well as the other neighboring states addicted to it and indulge themselves in terrorism. Moreover, illegal deals related to the supply of arms and RDX material for spreading terrorism in India is also being finalized through internet media platforms
The police data further identifies that such active internet media accounts in past about a year, with effect from September 2022 to September 2023 and later closed down a total number of 1888 such accounts were verified which included 96 in the first phase, 427 in the second phase, 331 in the third phase and 443 in the fourth phase. Information also reveals that 1297 such internet media accounts have been blocked in the past one year. Information about other suspicious accounts is being investigated by the investigating teams. The joint team of police is keeping an eye on all such internet media accounts. The process of blocking accounts that promote anti-India activities, break laws and instigate the youth is going on.
According to Ketan Bansal SP Chandigarh, a joint team of Operation Cell, Cyber Cell and CID has been formed to stop terrorist and Khalistani activities. This team keeps an eye on suspicious internet media accounts and the list has been handed over to the cyber cell by the CID. After this, the cyber cell team would block active accounts of the internet media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram through technical and legal process. Some of the internet accounts got blocked in recent past sometime include the names of Khalistan Force, Rinda Brigade, Sukhdul Sukkha alias Sukkha Duneke team, Babbar Khalsa Pride Group, Neeraj Bawana Brigade, Lawrence Bishnoi, Davinder Bambiha (shooter), Kala Rana Group (Dabangg), vicky gounder one thought and most of them were also involved in arms deal through internet media enabling spread terrorism in Punjab and few other states. These gangsters are active in Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Training was being given on the platform from loading to using illegal weapons.
