Punjab Police arrest 2 militants to avert terror attack on Independence Day; seize hand grenades & other weapons

PK Jaiswar
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, August 16

The Punjab Police on Sunday night arrested two militants, allegedly associated with a UK-based terrorist entity, to avert a possible terrorist attack on or around the Independence Day.

The Amritsar rural police have seized two hand grenades and four pistols from Gharinda border belt here on Sunday.

This is third seizure in the recent past in which hand grenades were recovered. 

Earlier, the police had seized five hand grenades along with an IED and RDX from a border village Daleke. 

Later hand grenade was seized in the posh Ranjit Avenue area a day before the state-level Independence Day celebrations in Amritsar where Chief Minister Amarinder Singh unfurled the flag. 

The police also seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including two hand grenades, one pistol (9mm), along with live bullets and magazines from their possession.

The duo, operating on the directions of UK-based terrorist Gurpreet Singh Khalsa, were nabbed from Amritsar, and had been tasked with retrieving a weapons consignment sent from across the border, according to DGP Dinkar Gupta.

The consignment was most likely delivered in the border area around Attari-Jhabal road some days ago, he said, adding that Gurpreet Singh Khalsa was also involved in the Shingar bomb case in Ludhiana.

Giving details, the DGP said that in view of the large number of intel inputs indicating plans by Pak ISI and terrorist elements based abroad, who are working in close collaboration with the ISI, to carry out an attack in India on or around Independence Day, Punjab Police had made extensive security arrangements at the borders.

Special security checkpoints were set up and patrolling was intensified 24X7.

During checking at one such naka around midnight between August 15 and 16, two mobike riders were stopped by police personnel deployed at a check-point near Adda Khalsa by police station Gharinda, (Amritsar-Rural).

The cops found the duo suspicious as they could neither explain their presence at the late hour nor produce any valid document pertaining to the ownership of vehicle.

The body search of pillion rider Amritpal Singh led to the recovery of one pistol (9 mm), one magazine and seven live cartridges, said the DGP.

The bike was being driven by Sammy of Sultanwind, Amritsar.

In total, two hand grenades, two pistols (9 mm), four magazines and 20 bullets have been seized, the spokesperson said.

An FIR under 25/27 Arms Act 1959 and 3,4,5 of Explosive Substance (Amendment) Act 2001, has been registered at police station Gharinda, Amritsar, the spokesperson added.

It may be recalled that the chief minister had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi last week and sought 25 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) along with anti-drone gadgets for the Border Security Force (BSF) for protection from Pak-backed terror forces.