The Punjab Police on Wednesday claimed to have averted a major terror strike with the arrest of five operatives of the Pakistan-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), who were allegedly planning a grenade attack on a police establishment.
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the arrested individuals — identified as Naresh Kumar alias Babbu, Abhinav Bhagat alias Abhi, Ajay Kumar alias Ajju, and Sunny Kumar, all residents of Haripura in Amritsar, along with a 17-year-old juvenile — were part of a terror module being run by foreign-based gangster Jiwan Fauji with support from Pakistan’s ISI.
The police recovered a hand grenade, a country-made .32 pistol, and five live cartridges from the accused.
DGP Yadav said Jiwan Fauji, currently operating from abroad, had recruited and radicalised the arrested individuals to carry out terror activities in Punjab’s border districts. The group was reportedly tasked with retrieving weapon consignments from the Ajnala sector in Amritsar and had been provided motorcycles to carry out their operations.
The accused were allegedly planning to target a police facility using grenades, police said, adding that a case has been registered and further investigations are ongoing.
Amritsar Commissioner of Police (CP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar revealed that during a follow-up recovery operation, accused Ajay Kumar attempted to flee by snatching a police weapon and opening fire on the police team. He sustained a gunshot wound to the leg in retaliatory fire and is currently receiving treatment at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar.
Investigators have also linked the accused to a recent gunfire incident in Mahal village, where they allegedly provided logistical support and a scooter to the attackers.
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