22-year-old arrested in Punjab attack case

Delhi Police said Karanbir Singh is their second arrest in the grenade attack case, following the first arrest of Akashdeep on July 22 from Indore.

The Delhi Police special cell arrested a 22-year-old man from Punjab on Saturday in an arms smuggling case and was then found to be involved in a grenade attack in the state in April this year. Police said he is also a member of a banned organisation named Babbar Khalsa International.

22-year-old arrested in Punjab attack case

Delhi Police said Karanbir Singh is their second arrest in the grenade attack case, following the first arrest of Akashdeep on July 22 from Indore. Police said the two accused and their associates are being investigated by the National Investigation Agency for throwing grenades at a police station in Punjab’s Batala in April.

According to the investigation, the arrested accused were hired to launch grenades. “After the attack, a post was circulated on social media by three men identified as Happy Passia, Mannu Agwan and Gopi Nawanshahria, who are all affiliated to the banned terrorist organisation, claiming responsibility for the attack and also extending threat to Delhi,” deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Amit Kaushik said.

With a team led by inspectors Satish Rana and Ashok Kumar Bhadana, an arms smuggling ring was busted on July 22 with the arrest of Akashdeep.

“On the basis of interrogation, we found that an associate from the banned organisation is on the run. Raids were conducted across Punjab and Karanbir was arrested from Gurdaspur on Saturday,” added the DCP. Karanbir confessed his involvement in the grenade attack.

“He received money from his handler for executing the attack. He also facilitated the stay of two persons at his home before the attack, who had been given the task of launching a grenade at Qila Lal Singh police station. His brother Gursewak, who was also involved in the attack, has already been arrested in the case by the NIA,” DCP Kaushik said.