Chandigarh, July 20 (IANS) In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police have busted a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module, being operated by foreign-based handlers Maninder Billa and Manu Agwan, with the arrest of its three members involved in grenade attacks on police posts at Badshahpur in Patiala and Ajimgarh in Haryana, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday.

The operation was jointly conducted by Counter-Intelligence (CI) Patiala and State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), SAS Nagar. Those arrested have been identified as Sandeep Singh, alias Deepu, a resident of Badshahpur in Patiala, Harpreet Singh, alias Jagga, a resident of Harchandpura in Patiala, and Harmanpreet Singh, alias Preet, a resident of Gurdialpura in Patiala.

Two hand grenades and two pistols (.30 bore and .32 bore) were also recovered from the accused.

The development came after grenade attacks were reported at Police Post Badshahpur in Patiala on April 1 and Police Post Ajimgarh in Haryana on April 6. Following the incidents, operatives of BKI, Happy Passia, Manu Agwan, and Gopi Nawasherian had used social media platform to claim the responsibility for these terror acts.

“By successfully busting this module, Punjab Police has solved both incidents of grenade attacks on police establishments in the state,” said the DGP, while adding that both the handlers were working on the directions of terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda.

DGP Yadav said that the module had received logistical and financial support. Preliminary investigation has also suggested that the module was actively planning further attacks on police establishments in Punjab, he said, while adding that further investigation is on to trace forward and backward linkages in this case.

Sharing more details, AIG (Patiala) Simrat Kaur said, during the interrogation, the arrested accused persons have confessed that attacks at both the police establishments were masterminded by their associate identified as Gurpreet Singh, alias Babbu, who is lodged in Patiala Jail and currently is in the police custody.

She said that the probe has found that mastermind Gurpreet Singh, alias Babbu, had promised Sandeep Singh, alias Deepu, Rs 3-4 lakh for participating in the Badshahpur attack, while Harmanpreet Singh, alias Preet, was paid Rs 10,000 for accompanying in the Ajimgarh attack.

The AIG said that further investigation is on, and more arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days. A case FIR No. 11 dated July 19 was registered under sections 25 (1) (B) and 61 (2) of the Arms Act at Police Station SSOC SAS Nagar, while Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act have been added later.

–IANS

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