Grenade scare in Punjab’s border town of Batala turns out to be publicity stunt, 1 booked
Police acted promptly after a video of the suspected grenade near the liquor shop was shared on social media. Bomb disposal experts were requisitioned and the area was cordoned off.
Panic gripped the Focal Point area of Punjab’s border town of Batala on Saturday morning when an object resembling a hand-grenade was found near a liquor shop. It later turned out to be a publicity stunt for which the police booked a local resident.
Senior superintendent of police Suhail Qasim Mir said, “Police acted promptly after a video of the suspected grenade near the liquor shop was shared on social media. Bomb disposal experts were requisitioned and the area was cordoned off. Later, a man named, Manu Agwan, claimed responsibility for placing the object and admitted it was a publicity stunt. A case has been registered against him.”
Gurdaspur is among the border districts on high alert since Operation Sindoor.
Moreover, Punjab has seen 16 grenade attacks in the past seven months. Though there has been no loss of life or injury in the attacks, including in Gurdaspur, the frequency of the incidents has been a concern for the police.
