The North News
Chandigarh/Gurdaspur, July 9
Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) has foiled a major terror plot allegedly orchestrated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Harwinder Singh Rinda, a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative currently based in Pakistan, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said a significant cache of terrorist hardware was recovered from a forested area in Gurdaspur district, averting what could have been multiple attacks across the state.
The recovered weapons include two AK-47 rifles, 16 live cartridges, two magazines, and two P-86 hand grenades. “Preliminary investigations suggest that the arms were pushed into India from across the border by Pakistani handlers as part of a coordinated effort to spread violence and disturb public order,” DGP Yadav said.
The AGTF acted swiftly on human intelligence inputs, with teams operating under the direct supervision of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Promod Ban. “We intercepted the consignment before it could reach Rinda’s operatives. Investigations are ongoing to identify those expected to retrieve the cache,” he added.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Gurmeet Chauhan, also part of the operation, revealed that the terror module has links to foreign-based handlers. He said further recoveries were likely as the investigation progresses.
An FIR has been registered under the Arms Act and Explosives Act at Police Station Purana Shala in Gurdaspur. The development underscores growing concern over renewed attempts by Pakistani-backed terror groups to revive militancy in Punjab.
