‘IED’ hurled at police station, BKI claims responsibility

A suspected improvised explosive device (IED) was hurled into the compound of the Ghanian-Ke-Bangar police station in Batala police district late last night. This is the third incident of a bomb-like object being thrown into the border area police stations in recent weeks.

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The Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) has claimed responsibility for the incident through a social media post. The post warned the Batala police that BKI activists would resort to hurling hand grenades or IEDs wherever a police check-post was established after 6 pm.

The police station is around 12 km away from Batala city.

Incidentally, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is slated to visit Qadian on Sunday. Most senior officers of the Batala police were busy in preparing for the visit when the news of the incident surfaced.

DIG (Border) Satinder Singh said the police were verifying what exactly the object was. He ruled out the use of a hand grenade. “The truth will be known only after the forensic science laboratory (FSL) report comes in,” he said.

ADGP Naunihal Singh and SSP Suhail Qasim Mir visited the police station around 10 am today. The SSP said the ADGP was in the city to inspect some border area police stations. “His visit should not be linked to the IED incident,” he added.

An officer said Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) sympathisers Gopi Nawashaharia and Harpreet Singh Happy Pashia had taken the responsibility for the incident.

Sources say Gopi is involved in the murder of former BKI militant Rattandeep Singh. He fled to the US on a fake passport in May. He is believed to be hiding in California.

Harpreet Singh Happy Pashia, a US-based gangster-turned-terrorist, is actively recruiting vulnerable youth from weaker sections in Ramdass (Amritsar) and Dera Baba Nanak (Gurdaspur) areas near the international border for criminal and terror operations. Pashia, wanted in over 15 cases of murder, murder bid and extortion, has been linked to multiple criminal modules in Punjab.

SSP Suhail Qasim Mir went into a midnight huddle with his team of senior officers after receiving the news. “There is nothing to panic. We are looking into the occurrence and will come out with details once the investigations are over,” he said.

Minutes after the incident, security was enhanced in the neighbouring districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot. In Batala, check-posts were established and vehicles checked.