E-Paper
Radicalised operative arrested with hand grenades in Amritsar
An official release identified the accused as Ranjit Singh of Sohal village in Tarn Taran. With his arrest, Punjab Police claim to have foiled another possible terrorist attack in the border state
Punjab Police have arrested what they call a “highly radicalised” operative having links with foreign-based terrorist entities with two Chinese-made P-86 hand grenades and two pistols and live cartridges.
An official release identified the accused as Ranjit Singh of Sohal village in Tarn Taran. With his arrest, Punjab Police claim to have foiled another possible terrorist attack in the border state.
The police also recovered a black Royal Enfield motorcycle (PB02-DA-6685) from Ranjit’s possession, said Punjab director general of police (DGP) Punjab Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, said on Wednesday.
The DGP said acting on intelligence inputs about the presence of Ranjit in the Amritsar area, special teams from the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, were sent to the specified area where he was apprehended. Police sources said the accused was arrested near Bandala village.
The arrest comes at a time when Punjab is witnessing huge inflow of hand grenades, tiffin bombs and other weapons. Recently, the state was rocked by two grenade blasts, including the one at CIA office in Nawanshahr and the other in the cantonment area of Pathankot, besides the recovery of an unexploded hand grenade from the Zira area.
The DGP said during investigation, Ranjit revealed that he had formed a group named “Kaum De Rakhe” to collect funds on the pretext of social work. Through this group, he got in touch with radical and terrorist elements based in the UK and other countries through social media and extended his help to form sleeper cells under the garb of his social work, he said.
Ranjit further disclosed that recently received a consignment of arms and explosives and was planning to carry out a terror strike to create an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness in the state, added the DGP.
The DGP said that Ranjit was also part of a group, which had vandalised statues of folk dancers installed at the heritage street leading to Golden Temple Amritsar on January 15, 2020, and was arrested.
ADGP, internal security, RN Dhoke said efforts are on to identify foreign-based handlers who had arranged the consignment and also his other Indian associates.
A case under Sections 25 of the Arms Act, Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Amendment Act and Sections 120 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered at the SSOC police station in Amritsar.
Ranjit is eldest of three brothers. The three brothers and their father are farmers and the family has 15 acres of land in the village.
