NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested a 22-year-old man allegedly linked to the banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) for his involvement in the grenade attack on a police station in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district earlier this year.
The accused, identified as Akashdeep alias Bazz from Amritsar, was apprehended on Tuesday in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where he was working as a crane operator at a construction site.
Police said he was involved in the grenade attack at Quila Lal Singh police station in Gurdaspur on April 7. Following the attack, a social media post claiming responsibility and issuing further threats to Delhi was circulated by individuals affiliated with BKI—Happy Pachiya, Mannu Agwan, and Gopi Nawanshahria.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Amit Kaushik said Akashdeep was in contact with a handler from Punjab operating BKI activities from abroad. He reportedly received instructions through social media for planning and executing terror activities.
Police added that Akashdeep was also engaged in the illegal supply of arms to criminals in Delhi. After receiving intelligence about his movements, the Special Cell tracked him across Gujarat before locating him in Madhya Pradesh.
The arrest was made under a new initiative of the Delhi Police’s Special Cell known as the “Operation Cell.” This dedicated unit has been formed to monitor Khalistani terror activities and other emerging threats, with a focus on social media and the dark web. It will operate 24x7 to track digital activity linked to banned organisations, Indian gangsters operating abroad, and cross-border radical networks.
Officials said the increasing use of digital platforms by terror outfits for recruitment, radicalisation, and communication has necessitated the creation of a specialised monitoring wing.
Akashdeep has been brought to Delhi for further interrogation, said police, adding that the efforts are underway to trace his associates, handlers, and the network aiding his movement and activities across state borders.