Bhindi Saida police station blast: Accused were promised Rs 4 lakh by ISI-backed handler
Six arrested for grenade attack; accused were in regular contact with Pakistan-based handler operating from abroad, says Punjab DGP
Six accused arrested by the Punjab Police in connection with the Bhindi Saida police station grenade attack were promised Rs 4 lakh for executing the blast by the Pakistan’s ISI-backed terror module handlers.
However, they got a paltry amount and ended up in police custody.
Among those arrested were identified as Baljit Singh of Chak Dogra, Prabh Singh of Chota Fatehwal, Rajbir Singh of Baba Gum Chak Ballarwal, Sukhpreet Singh of Thehra Rajputan, Ajaydeep Singh alias Ajay alias Gazni of Lopoke, and Sahib Singh alias Saba of Sarangdev — all villages fall in Ajnala sub division in Amritsar.
“It is a classic pattern of exploitation. How the anti-national forces in the neighbouring country are radicalising the local vulnerable youth and luring them with substantial financial rewards, which they never get,” said Sohail Qasim Mir, SSP Amritsar rural.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said as per preliminary investigations, the accused were in regular contact with a Pakistan-based handler operating from abroad, who was directing terror activities in the border state. He said the module members had been radicalised and motivated to target police establishments.
Baljit Singh and Prabh Singh retrieved two hand grenades from a hiding spot near Gharinda in the intervening night of March 29-30. The next night, the trio — Baljit, Prabh, and Rajbir — then rode a motorcycle to within 1-2 km of Bhindi Saida police station and carried out the blast.
How accused executed blast, went underground
Sharing details of how the accused carried out the attack, SSP said the accused parked the bike in the fields, approached the rear of the police station on foot through fields with standing wheat crops, and hurled the grenades.
Rajbir Singh allegedly recorded the attack on his mobile phone from a distance. After the blast, the trio hid in wheat crops for three to four hours, later dumped their clothes in a nearby drain to destroy evidence, and fled at dawn after retrieving their motorcycle.
First, Balbir and Prabh were arrested from Faridkot in an intelligence-based operation and the remaining four were held from Amritsar.
The police recovered two .30 bore pistols along with magazines from Balbir and Prabh. The prior had several criminal cases, including murder and attempted murder. They came in contact with a Pakistan-based smuggler through several jail inmates when they were imprisoned in jail.
Apart from the Explosive Substances Act, the police added the sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and under relevant provisions of the BNS and Arms Act.
