Terror plot to disrupt festive season foiled by Punjab Police, two arrested

Punjab Police said they foiled a Pakistan-backed plot to carry out attacks in the state during the festive season, arresting two youths and recovering four hand grenades allegedly sent from across the border.

A joint team from Tarn Taran’s Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) and Counter Intelligence intercepted the two youths on a motorcycle at Marimegha village, near the international border with Pakistan.

One of those arrested is a minor. The other was identified as Princepal Singh, a resident of Dhun village in Tarn Taran. Police have registered a case against both at Khalra police station and are questioning them.RECENT OPERATIONS AGAINST ALLEGED TERROR MODULES

The arrests come after a series of operations in Punjab and Chandigarh targeting alleged terror modules, including those police have linked to Pakistan’s ISI and the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

On August 24, Chandigarh Police arrested three suspected BKI operatives, Lovepreet Singh, Jashanpreet Singh and Prabhpreet Singh. Police recovered about five kilograms of gelatin-stick explosives, a detonator, a remote-operated triggering device, a pistol and live ammunition.

Investigators alleged that foreign-based BKI handler Satnam Singh Satta had instructed them to plant an IED in Chandigarh at the ISI’s behest.

Earlier, on August 16, Amritsar Rural Police recovered a 690-gram IED with an electronic detonator and said they had foiled a plot to target a police establishment. The Bomb Disposal Squad later defused the device.

On August 10, Jalandhar and SBS Nagar Police arrested an alleged BKI operative and recovered an 86-P hand grenade. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said the ISI-backed module was planning an attack.

A similar joint operation by the Counter Intelligence team and Jalandhar Rural Police on July 26 led to the arrest of a suspected operative and the recovery of a 1.3-kg IED. Officials linked the accused to another alleged ISI-backed BKI module.- Ends

Kamaljit Sandhu is an award winning journalist working as Deputy Editor in India Today. She has nearly two decades of experience as a full time TV journalist. She covers "conflict" regions, Internal security matters, MEA and Parliament. Her work has often led to crisscrossing the country. She has also traveled to Pakistan and Iran, in pursuit of news stories. In 2019, she received the ENBA Award for best news programming for her ground report on "surviving Bastar" which was based on the government's policy on inducting tribals in Crpf in chattisgarh to counter naxals.

Personal interests: Kamaljit likes travelling, interior decoration and playing scrabble, Has varied interests in sporting activities like swimming, badminton and Yoga.