Punjab Police arrest 5 Babbar Khalsa members, foil potential grenade attack   

Punjab Police on Wednesday claimed to have thwarted a potential grenade attack at a police establishment with the arrest of five members of Pakistan’s ISI-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module, which allegedly had links with foreign-based gangster Jiwan Fauji.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said those arrested have been identified as Naresh Kumar alias Babbu, Abhinav Bhagat alias Abhi, Ajay Kumar alias Ajju and Sunny Kumar, all residents of Haripura in Amritsar and a 17-year-old juvenile.

Police teams also seized a hand grenade and a country-made .32 pistol, along with five live cartridges.

The DGP said Fauji, currently operating from abroad, has been running a terror module in border districts of the state with the help of the arrested persons, who were recruited and radicalised to execute criminal activities.

Probe also revealed that the arrested persons were provided with motorcycles and tasked with retrieving weapon consignments from the Ajnala sector in Amritsar district, he added.

The accused were plotting to target a police establishment with grenades, police said.

An FIR has been registered, and further investigation is under way, he said.

Sharing details, Amritsar Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Bhullar said during a follow-up recovery operation, accused Ajay Kumar tried to escape by snatching a service weapon and opening fire at the police team.

The accused sustained injuries in his leg during retaliatory fire and has been undergoing treatment at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar, he added.

The probe has also revealed that the accused had provided logistic support and a scooter to the assailants involved in a gun-firing incident at Mahal village in Amritsar.

Amritsar