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Chandigarh, July 21
The Punjab Police have arrested 17 people in connection with a grenade attack on a police station in Moga earlier this month and claim they have foiled an alleged plan to target a passenger train with an improvised explosive device (IED). The Police said the investigation began after a low-intensity grenade was hurled at Police Station Sadar Moga at around 3:15am on July 8, damaging the premises but causing no reported casualties.
Announcing the breakthrough on Tuesday, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said officers had recovered an IED, explosive material, an electronic detonator, a 9mm Glock pistol with a magazine and the motorcycle allegedly used in the attack. Three men — identified as Gagan alias Kali, Rajesh alias Khanna and Shubham alias Bhinder, all from Ferozepur district — have been named by police as the alleged main attackers.
The police said another 14 people were arrested for allegedly providing logistical support, shelter and helping expand the network. The suspects are from Ferozepur and Moga districts.
Sharing details, the police said that the conspiracy was hatched by Iqbal Singh alias Ravi Dhaliwal, whom police describe as a UK-based operative involved in criminal activities. Officers allege he instructed the group to attack the Moga police station and was also behind a plan to plant an IED on a train travelling from Ferozepur to Jammu.
The train attack was prevented before it could be carried out, police said.
The police further said that the arrests followed an intensive operation involving technical surveillance and human intelligence. The police traced the three alleged attackers before widening the investigation, which led to the arrest of others accused of providing logistics, shelter and recruitment support.
Senior officers said that the questioning of those arrested helped uncover the wider network and recover explosives and weapons. The police say further investigations are continuing to identify additional suspects and determine whether the group was linked to other criminal or militant activities. They added that more arrests and recoveries are expected.
The case against the accused was registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Explosive Substances Act, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The North News
