NIA charges 7 men for grenade attack on police station in Batala by Khalistani terrorists

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted seven accused, including three absconders, in the December 2024 case related to the grenade attack on Gurdaspur police station by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorists, officials said on Friday.

The terror attack on Ghanie Ke Bangar police station in Batala, Gurdaspur district, Punjab, was claimed on social media by BKI operatives Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia and Gurpreet alias Gopi, they said.

US-based Passia, along with Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda as well as Shamsher Singh alias Shera alias Honey, are the three absconders chargesheeted by the NIA in the case on Thursday before a court in Mohali, the officials said.

The four arrested accused chargesheeted by the anti-terror agency have been identified as Kuljit Singh, Abhijot Singh, Gurjinder Singh and Shubham, all residents of Qila Lal Singh village, Batala, Punjab, according to a statement issued by the NIA.

All seven accused have been chargesheeted under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act, as well as other related provisions, for their roles in the conspiracy and execution of the attack, which took place on December 12, 2024, it said.

The NIA, which took over the case on March 23 this year, found during investigation that at Rinda's behest, Happy Passia had recruited Abhijot Singh through his node, Shamsher Singh in Armenia, to carry out the terror attack, the probe agency said.

Abhijot has also been arrested by the NIA in a separate case relating to targeted shooting in Sector 10, Chandigarh.

On his return from Armenia, Abhijot had engaged in picking and dropping of weapons/explosives on the directions of his foreign-based handlers.

"He had expanded his gang by recruiting Kuljit Singh and other co-accused. On December 9, 2024, Kuljit had picked up the grenade for the attack on Ghanie Ke Bangar police station," the statement said.

The NIA is continuing with its investigation as part of its efforts to dismantle BKI's terror network in India, it added.