Chandigarh, Aug 12 — Punjab Police have dismantled a Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror network with the arrest of five operatives from Rajasthan’s Tonk and Jaipur districts, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said Tuesday.
The module, allegedly directed by Pakistan-based BKI operative Harwinder Rinda through foreign handlers Mannu Agwan, Gopi Nawashehria, and Zeeshan Akhtar, was linked to the August 7 attack on a liquor store in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. Police said the group was tasked with carrying out more blasts on Independence Day.
Recovered items include a hand grenade, a .30-bore pistol, two cartridges, and two empty shells. “In a major breakthrough against Pakistan’s ISI-backed terror network, Counter Intelligence Jalandhar, in a joint operation with SBS Nagar Police, has successfully averted further planned attacks,” Yadav said in a post on X.
Three of the accused are minors. The two adults were identified as Ritik, 19, of Jaipur, and Sonu Kumar, 21, of Kala Sanghian in Kapurthala. Sonu sustained a leg injury in an exchange of fire with police while being taken to recover ammunition. “The accused tried to flee from custody and opened fire at police. He was injured in retaliatory fire and is being treated at Civil Hospital, SBS Nagar,” Yadav said.
A case has been registered at Nawanshahr police station. Police said the August 7 liquor shop attack involved flammable material being thrown into the premises. An unauthenticated BKI-linked social media post later claimed it was a grenade attack and warned the shop’s owners to close permanently.
The DGP said investigations are ongoing, with efforts to trace the wider network and prevent further terror activities.
