CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police arrested two operatives of Babbar Khalsa International and recovered an IED, solving the bomb blast case near the Nalagarh police station.
The arrests also revealed the involvement of a narco-terror module linked to Pakistan’s ISI.
Director General of Police of Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said on Thursday that the operation was carried out in close coordination with the Himachal Pradesh police and central agencies.
Those arrested were identified as Shamsher Singh, also known as Sheru and Kamal, and Pardeep Singh, also known as Deepu. Both are residents of Rahon in SBS Nagar.
Yadav said the arrested operatives were acting on the directions of Shushant Chopra, a close associate of Gurpreet alias Gopi Nawanshahria and BKI mastermind Harwinder Rinda.
He said preliminary investigation showed that on December 31 last year, the accused, along with two accomplices, transported an IED from Punjab to Himachal Pradesh.
The device was later used in the blast at the Nalagarh Police Station on January 1, as part of a larger conspiracy targeting police establishments.
Further investigation is ongoing to uncover the wider conspiracy in this case, he said.
Sharing operational details, Nawanshahr Senior Superintendent of Police, Tushar Gupta said the involvement of the arrested accused came to light during the investigation of an FIR registered under the NDPS Act at Rahon police station.
He said the accused were found to be acting on the directions of Chopra.
He said an IED was recovered from the location identified by the accused based on their disclosures, further confirming their role in the terror conspiracy.
Police teams have also identified two accomplices of the arrested men and raids are under way to arrest them, he said.
In this regard, a separate case has been registered at Rahon police station under Section 25 of the Arms Act, Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosives Substances Act, Sections 10, 13, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and Sections 113(1) and 113(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Meanwhile, in another operation, the Amritsar rural police, with the support of the Village Defence Committee, busted a major cross-border narco-terror network and recovered 42.9 kilograms of heroin, four hand grenades, and a Star-mark pistol along with 46 live cartridges.
This operation is a direct outcome of actionable and credible intelligence generated through the VDCs—a flagship initiative of the Punjab Government aimed at institutionalising community participation in internal security and anti-drug efforts.
Yadav said that the preliminary investigation has revealed that the recovered narcotics, arms, and explosives were dropped via drones from across the international border, clearly indicating the involvement of an organised cross-border narco-terror network.
He said that the subsequent investigation has led to the detention of two persons, both residents of Amritsar. Further investigation is underway to trace the absconding accused, verify the chain of possession, and uncover the wider conspiracy.
Sharing operational details, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Border Range, Sandeep Goel said police teams, acting on inputs received through the VDC network, intercepted a motorcycle in Oothian village.
Sensing police presence, the suspects abandoned the motorcycle along with the consignment and fled into nearby fields, taking advantage of the darkness and terrain, he said.
Police teams immediately launched a search and area domination exercise in the surrounding fields, leading to the recovery of the narcotics, arms, and explosives, he added.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar Rural, Suhail Qasim Mir, said an intensive investigation is underway to identify and arrest the accused, trace the wider network, and dismantle the entire operation.
In this regard, a case has been registered under sections 21 and 25 of the NDPS Act and sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act at the Police Station Rajasansi in Amritsar Rural.