2 more BKI terror module operatives held; 1 hand grenade recovered

Days after busting the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module, Counter Intelligence Jalandhar has arrested two more operatives of the same module and recovered one 86P hand grenade from their possession, said Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Vishavjit and Jackson, both residents of Shankar in Nakodar.

According to information, Punjab Police had arrested five operatives, including Ritik Naroliya and Sonu Kumar alias Kali, and three juveniles of the BKI module for their involvement in the grenade attack in Nawanshahr and recovered one 86P hand grenade and one .30 bore pistol from their possession.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that acting swiftly on forward and backward linkages, CI Jalandhar, recovered the weapons, following the arrest of two BKI operatives Ritik Naroliya and a juvenile from Rajasthan, a few days back. The arrested accused’s disclosures led to the arrest of their aides Vishavjit from Kolkata — while he was trying to abscond to Malaysia — and Jackson from Nakodar, which led to the recovery of the said hand grenade, he said.

The DGP said that all the arrested accused were acting on the directions of Canada-based BKI masterminds Zeeshan Akhtar and Ajay Gill.

Sharing more details, AIG CI Navjot Singh Mahal said that preliminary investigations have revealed that Vishavjit and Jackson had retrieved two hand grenades from Beas through their associates in last week of July this year. Of which, one grenade was exploded in a liquor shop in SBS Nagar 10 days back by other members of this module, he said.

The AIG said that further investigations are ongoing in this case and more arrests are likely in coming days. An FIR has been registered under relevant Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, he added.