Suspected gangster-terrorist link makes police rejig its approach

With a troubling pattern of targeting attacks on police establishments emerging across this border state over the past two years, the Punjab Police have recalibrated the force and are enhancing its mobility in the border districts.

"We have revised our plans and are strengthening the second line of defence, apart from pacing up installation of CCTV cameras in the border belt," said DIG Border Range, Sandeep Goel.

Since late 2024, police stations and chowkis in various districts in the border state including Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Patiala and Nawanshehar remained a target. The first spike came in December 2024, when installations such as Majitha and Islamabad police stations were targeted within days. Most explosions were low-intensity, causing limited structural damage and few injuries.

Investigations later suggested links to handlers operating from abroad having connections to banned outfits such as Babbar Khalsa.

The geographical spread widened in April 2025 with a blast outside a police post in Patiala, indicating that perpetrators were testing their reach beyond border districts. However, the most alarming escalation came when an Assistant Sub-Inspector and a Home Guard jawan were shot dead inside Adhian police post near Dorangla in Gurdaspur recently. Unlike earlier grenade incidents focused on property damage, this marked a direct and lethal targeting of police personnel. A few days ago, an IED was found outside Rayya police chowki also. Officials believe the earlier phase may have been a testing ground to assess response time and security gaps before shifting to more deadly tactics.

A senior police official, wishing not to be named, said that the nexus between gangsters and extremist elements presents a hybrid threat, turning police infrastructure into strategic targets.

Day after the Gurdaspur incident, Director General of Police (Special) Arpit Shukla visited the border districts in Punjab and supervised the security arrangements.

In response, Punjab Police have reinforced perimeter security, upgraded surveillance systems, deployed Quick Reaction Teams (QRTS) and intensified intelligence coordination.

DIG Goel pointed out that for border security, the second line of defence is being augmented and as many as 2,367 CCTV cameras would be installed at 585 locations along the International Border (IB) at a cost of Rs 49.58 crore. The Anti-Drone System (ADS) fleet would also be expanded from the current three operational systems to an additional six under procurement, with 10 more to be procured later in a phased manner, he said, while adding that Drone Response Teams (DRTs) have also been pressed into action.