Punjab Police have dealt a significant blow to a terror network linked to the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), recovering a Chinese Type 86P hand grenade following the arrest of two operatives in Rajasthan, authorities announced on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. The operation, led by the Counter Intelligence (CI) unit in Jalandhar, targeted Ritik Naroliya and a juvenile, apprehended earlier this month, whose disclosures unraveled a broader conspiracy orchestrated by Canada-based BKI masterminds Zeeshan Akhtar and Ajay Gill.
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav revealed in a post on X that the suspects’ confessions led to the arrest of two accomplices, Vishavjit from Kolkata, caught while attempting to flee to Malaysia, and Jackson from Nakodar, Punjab. These arrests facilitated the recovery of the grenade, part of a cache of two retrieved from Beas in late July 2025. One of these grenades was used in an attack on a liquor shop in Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar on August 9, 2025, which BKI claimed was meant to pressure the shop’s closure due to local nuisance complaints.
The module, allegedly directed by Pakistan-based BKI operative Harwinder Singh Rinda in coordination with Pakistan’s ISI, aimed to target additional sites, including during the Independence Day period. An FIR has been filed at the State Special Operation Cell in Amritsar, with investigations ongoing to uncover further links. The operation follows another recent bust on August 12, 2025, where five BKI operatives, including three juveniles, were arrested in Tonk and Jaipur, Rajasthan, with a similar grenade and pistol recovered, thwarting planned attacks.
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DGP Yadav emphasized Punjab Police’s commitment to dismantling terror networks, stating, “We remain vigilant to ensure peace and public safety across the state.” This latest success underscores heightened counter-terrorism efforts amid rising concerns over BKI’s activities, with ongoing probes expected to yield additional arrests and recoveries.
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