ISI terror plot: NIA team visits Ludhiana, begins probe

The National Investigation Team (NIA) has started a probe in connection with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) terror plot, which was foiled by the Ludhiana police and 10 suspects linked with the Pakistan’s ISI were arrested recently.

Senior officials of the central agency visited the city for exchange of information about the ISI backed grenade attack module and international links in the case. They also reportedly applauded the Ludhiana police for busting the terror module.

A senior police official confirmed to The Tribune here on Sunday that the NIA team, led by a DSP-rank official, along with other officials of the agency, visited the city on Friday and met the ACP-rank official to obtain information about the entire terror plot and role of foreign handlers who had given the task to the nabbed suspects for executing a grenade attack in a densely populated area of Ludhiana with the intent to spread terror by the Pakistan’s ISI through their foreign handlers. Agency officials took detail about the 10 arrested suspects and foreign handlers.

“Since ISI agents Ajay Malaysia, Jass Behbal and Pawandeep were found to be operating from Malaysia to spread terror in Punjab, the NIA’s visit was expected. Now, the agency will also probe the case separately and it would investigate foreign links too. The agency will have more resources and it also initiate talks with its counterparts in foreign countries. However, the ongoing probe by the Ludhiana police will be continued and vital leads had already been gathered by the city police about other suspects, who are also in touch with ISI’s agents,” said a senior police official.

The police had arrested 10 persons, including six suspects who were brought from jails in Faridkot and Ganganagar in the case. The police had also found several social media profiles of the suspects through which they were communicating with the foreign handlers of the ISI.