Punjab Police thwart terrorist attack by arresting Tarn Taran resident; seize 2 hand grenades

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Tarn Taran, August 31

With the arrest of a highly radicalised operative linked with foreign-based terrorist entities, Punjab Police have thwarted another possible terrorist attack in the border state.

He has been identified as Saroop Singh of Johal Dhai Wala village in Tarn Taran.

The police have recovered two live Chinese-made P-86 mark hand grenades from his possession, said DGP Dinkar Gupta.

The DGP said Saroop was apprehended by the Tarn Taran police on suspicion at a checkpoint on Amritsar-Harike road on Monday.

The development came at a time when Punjab has been witnessing a huge influx of grenades and RDX-laden tiffin boxes besides recovery of other arms and ammunition, signalling major attempts being made by terrorist leaders and anti-national elements based abroad to disturb peace and communal harmony in the border state.

The DGP said that during preliminary investigation, Saroop revealed that he came in contact with foreign-based terror handlers on social media and was further radicalised, cultivated by them and motivated to carry out terror acts in Punjab,” he said.

Saroop said his foreign-based handlers had arranged a consignment of two hand grenades for him, said the DGP, adding that Saroop had already conducted a recce of a few sensitive targets in Amritsar and Ludhiana.

A training video sent by his foreign handlers explaining how to successfully explode a hand grenade had also been recovered from the mobile phone of the accused, he said.

The DGP said further investigation was on to explore the wider terror network.

An FIR has been registered under the Explosives Substances (Amendment) Act at Tarn Taran City police station.