Three BKI operatives with alleged Pakistan link booked by Punjab police, more arrests to follow: DGP

The Punjab Police on Sunday claimed to have arrested three operatives of the terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) for their alleged involvement in grenade attacks on two police posts in Patiala and Haryana in April this year.

Two hand grenades and two pistols were recovered from their possession, according to Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav.

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He explained that the arrest took place with help from intelligence provided by Counter Intelligence (CI) Patiala, as well as the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Mohali.

"Preliminary investigation reveals that the accused executed both attacks on instructions from foreign-based BKI operatives Manu Agwan (Greece) and Maninder Billa (Malaysia),” Yadav said in an X post. Yadav also claimed that they had been acting under the direction of Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

“The module had received logistical and financial support from these handlers and was actively planning further attacks on police establishments in Punjab.”

The accused have been identified as Sandeep Singh, Harpreet Singh, and Harmanpreet Singh.

 

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An FIR has been registered at State Special Operation Cell in Mohali, with further investigations underway, and more arrests in the coming months.

Earlier this month, a BKI operative claimed responsibility for shots fired at a cafe in Canada, reportedly linked to popular Indian comedian Kapil Sharma. No one was hurt.

Harjit Singh Laddi, a BKI operative based in Germany, claimed that the cafe shooting was a response to some remarks made on the outfit of Nihang Sikhs on Sharma's TV show, as per a Times of India report. The cafe reopened on Sunday, a week after the shooting.

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