CHANDIGARH/BATALA, May 20: In a major breakthrough, Batala Police has busted a Pak-ISI backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module. This was amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Foreign-based handlers Maninder Billa and Mannu Agwan operated the module. They were under the directions of terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda.Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday that police arrested six members for attempting a grenade attack outside a liquor vend in Batala.

Grenade Fails to Explode Outside Batala Liquor Shop, Six Held

As per the information, some unidentified bike-borne youth had lobbed a hand grenade outside a liquor vend in the Focal Point area of Batala on May 17, 2025, which failed to explode due to faulty assembly, preventing any untoward incident. Police have identified the arrested individuals as Jatin Kumar alias Rohan, Barinder Singh alias Sajan, Abraham alias Rohit, and Sunil Kumar — all residents of Shukarpura in Batala — along with Rahul Masih from Harnam Nagar, Batala, and Sohit from Qila Des Raj, Batala. Police teams have also recovered one .30 bore pistol from their possession.

PAK-ISI Backed Terror Module Linked to BKI, Portugal & USA Handlers: Punjab DGP

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused persons were receiving direct instructions from Portugal-based Maninder Billa and BKI mastermind Mannu Agwan, who has recently assumed operational charge after the arrest of Happy Passian in the USA. He said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the module had been directed by its foreign handlers to lob a grenade at any liquor vend with the intent to spread fear among contractors, thereby creating a conducive environment for extortion demands. Further investigations are ongoing to establish forward and backward linkages in this case, said the DGP.

SSP Batala: Grenade Attack Mastermind Injured, Six Accused Caught

Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Batala Suhail Qasim Mir said that following the incident of attempted grenade attack, multiple police teams were tasked to investigate using technical and human intelligence inputs. In a record time, six accused involved in lobbing, logistics and finances were traced and arrested, he added. The SSP said that during the operation, arrested accused Jatin Kumar alias Rohan, who is the main executor of the attack, sustained bullet injuries. This happened in an exchange of fire with police while he was being taken for recovery of weapon. In a bid to escape, the accused opened fire at the police team. He was injured in the retaliatory fire. SSP said that accused Jatin has been admitted at the local Civil Hospital for medical treatment.

FIR Filed Under UAPA and Explosive Act”

He said the probe found that the accused assembled the grenade. They did so based on instructions received via a video call from Maninder Billa and another unknown individual. The accused did this without any technical knowledge. Due to this, the assembly was faulty and led to the grenade not detonating, he added. FIR No 148 was registered on May 17, 2025. It has already been filed under sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act. The registration took place at Police Station Civil Lines in Batala. Additionally, sections 111 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have been added. Sections 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 18-B, and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) have also been included.