Punjab Police on Friday claimed to have disrupted Pakistan’s ISI-backed terror module being operated by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative Harvinder Rinda and Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia with the arrest of its two members, who allegedly confessed to have planted an improvised explosive device (IED) at a police station in Ajnala, said director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
Those arrested have been identified as Jashandeep Singh alias Danny, a resident of Jandiala Guru in Amritsar, and a 17-year-old juvenile. Police teams have also recovered two Chinese-made P86 hand grenades and a sophisticated Turkey-made 9MM Zigana pistol along with ammunition from their possession.
The arrest came within three weeks of the recovery of an IED planted close to the Ajnala police station on November 23.
BKI had claimed the responsibility for this act of terror.
Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that accused Jashandeep Danny and the juvenile were in touch with a foreign-based gangster, Gurdev Jaisal, who allegedly allured them to work for him in lieu of money and drugs. “Apart from planning terror activities, Jaisal also used them for drug peddling,” he added.
The DGP said that both the arrested persons confessed to have placed an IED at the police station in Ajnala following the directions of their handlers and also revealed that they had received various consignments of weapons and explosives.
{{/usCountry}}The DGP said that both the arrested persons confessed to have placed an IED at the police station in Ajnala following the directions of their handlers and also revealed that they had received various consignments of weapons and explosives.
{{/usCountry}}He said that further investigations are being conducted to unearth the entire network of Rinda, Happy Passia and Jaisal. Efforts are being made to identify and apprehend other members of this group to bring the case to a logical end, he added.
Sharing operation details, assistant inspector general (AIG), State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, Sukhminder Singh Mann said they received a secret information that Rinda, Passia and Jaisal had mobilised their associates to carry out anti-national activities in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala areas and also arranged huge consignment of weapons and explosives for them to execute the plans of targeting government establishments. “Acting swiftly on the information, the teams of SSOC, Amritsar, launched an intel-based operation and arrested accused Jashandeep and his juvenile accomplice from the area of Amritsar after recovering arms and explosives from their possession,” he said. Mann said that in May 2024 too, Jashandeep Danny was arrested by Batala Police for his involvement in an extortion case.
The juvenile was also earlier arrested by the Amritsar City police in August 2024 for stealing a two-wheeler scooter. Being a juvenile, he was released after a few days, he added.
A case has been registered under Section 25 of the Arms Act, Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances (Amendment) Act and Sections 61 (2) and 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at SSOC police station, Amritsar.