Chandigarh, May 20: In a significant counter-terrorism breakthrough, the Punjab Police have busted an ISI-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module with the arrest of six operatives involved in a failed grenade attack outside a liquor vend in Batala, Gurdaspur district. The arrests were made following a swift investigation by police teams under the directives of Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
The module, allegedly operating under the command of foreign-based handlers Maninder Billa (Portugal) and Mannu Agwan, was working on the instructions of notorious terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda. Agwan is believed to have taken over operational control after the recent arrest of Happy Passian in the United States.
The attempted grenade attack occurred on May 17, when two bike-borne individuals lobbed a hand grenade outside a liquor vend in Batala’s Focal Point area. However, the grenade failed to explode due to a faulty assembly, preventing any casualties or damage.
Those arrested have been identified as Jatin Kumar alias Rohan, Barinder Singh alias Sajan, Abraham alias Rohit, Sunil Kumar, Rahul Masih, and Sohit — all residents of Batala. A .30 bore pistol was recovered from their possession.
DGP Yadav said the module was instructed by its handlers to target liquor vends in order to create fear among contractors and set the stage for extortion. The attackers had received instructions via video calls from Billa and another unidentified individual.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Batala) Suhail Qasim Mir said multiple police teams were deployed, using both technical surveillance and human intelligence, to trace and arrest the suspects in record time.
During the operation, accused Jatin Kumar, the main executor of the grenade attack, sustained bullet injuries in an exchange of fire while being taken for the recovery of weapons. He was admitted to a local civil hospital for treatment.
Investigations revealed the grenade was poorly assembled due to lack of technical expertise, leading to the failed detonation.
The case remains under active investigation, and further arrests may follow.
