The Ludhiana police on Wednesday identified Malaysia-based Ajay, alias ‘Ajay Malaysia’, as the key conspirator on whose instruction the hand grenade was supplied to the accused to trigger an explosion.
The police on Tuesday arrested the accused, identified as Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Muktsar, who was allegedly tasked with transporting the grenade to Ludhiana. His aide, Shekhar Singh, managed to escape.
Sources said Ajay, a native of Rajasthan, was allegedly in contact with a network of criminals and drug smugglers operating in Punjab. It is suspected that he planned to use local operatives to carry out the attack using a Chinese-made hand grenade recovered by police a couple of days ago.
The police said Ajay had initially approached Ajay of Muktsar to arrange for men who could transport the grenade from Amritsar to Ludhiana. When the Muktsar contact failed to execute the plan, the key accused roped in two jail inmates — Ramneek Singh alias Amreek and Parwinder Singh alias Chidi — both lodged in Muktsar jail.
Following their directions, two men, Kuldeep Singh of Muktsar and his associate Shekhar Singh, took possession of the grenade and travelled to Ludhiana to deliver it to another contact.
{{/usCountry}}Following their directions, two men, Kuldeep Singh of Muktsar and his associate Shekhar Singh, took possession of the grenade and travelled to Ludhiana to deliver it to another contact.
{{/usCountry}}However, the plan was thwarted late Sunday night when a police team intercepted the duo near Shivpuri Chowk during a routine checkpoint. While Shekhar managed to flee, Kuldeep was caught red-handed with the live grenade.
During interrogation, Kuldeep confessed that he had been hired by the jailed duo to transport the explosive, revealing that each was promised ₹50,000 for the job. Acting on his disclosure, police obtained production warrants for Ramneek and Parwinder, who were formally arrested in the case earlier this week.
A senior police official, privy to the probe, said preliminary investigation points to a larger conspiracy involving international handlers. “Ajay Malaysia appears to be the mastermind, coordinating the operation from abroad with assistance from criminal networks in Punjab,” the police official said, pleading anonymity.
The official added that Ajay Malaysia and the Muktsar inmates are also linked to drug smuggling networks, suggesting a crossover between organised crime and terror financing.
The Ludhiana police have booked the accused under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Explosives Act and Section 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigators are now working with central agencies to trace Ajay Malaysia’s communications and identify his local links in Punjab and Rajasthan.