Punjab Police recover hand grenade from arrested BKI operatives

Chandigarh, Aug 19 (IANS) Punjab Police’s Counter Intelligence of Jalandhar recovered one hand grenade following the arrest of two operatives of the pro-Khalistan militant organisation Babbar Khalsa International from Rajasthan a few days back, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday.

One of the two operatives was identified as Ritik Naroliya, and the other was a juvenile

The accused's disclosures led to the arrest of their aides, Vishavjit from Kolkata, while he was trying to abscond to Malaysia and Jackson from the state’s Nakodar town, which led to the recovery of the hand 86P grenade.

All accused were acting on the directions of Canada-based BKI masterminds Zeeshan Akhtar and Ajay Gill, said the DGP.

Accused Vishavjit and Jackson retrieved two hand grenades from Beas through their associates in the last week of July, from which one grenade was exploded in a liquor shop in SBS Nagar 10 days back by other members of this module.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered in Amritsar.

On the eve of Independence Day, Counter Intelligence of Ferozepur foiled a major terror plot being orchestrated by Pakistan’s ISI-backed terrorist Harwinder Rinda with the arrest of two operatives of BKI.

Those arrested have been identified as Harpreet Singh, alias Preet, a resident of Tarn Taran, and Gulshan Singh, a resident of Amritsar.

Police teams had also recovered two 86P hand grenades and one 9MM pistol along with five live cartridges from their possession.

The development came two days after Punjab Police busted a BKI terror module with the arrest of five operatives, including three juveniles, from Tonk and Jaipur districts of Rajasthan and recovered one 86P hand-grenade and one .30 bore pistol from their possession.

DGP Yadav had said preliminary investigations have revealed that the arrested accused persons were working under the directions of their foreign-based handlers sitting in Britain, the US and Europe.

Probe has also revealed that the arrested accused were actively conspiring to target government buildings and police establishments using grenades to disturb the peace and harmony of the border state.

--IANS

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