Youth who learned making IEDs with ISI's help arrested: Punjab police

The Punjab Police's Counter-Intelligence wing today said that it has arrested a youth from Mohali who allegedly learned making IEDs with 'do it yourself' kits, after Pakistan's ISI contacted him over Facebook.

According to a police spokesperson, preliminary interrogation has revealed that he was acting at the behest of his ISI handlers, who had tasked him with carrying out blasts in Punjab with explosives made from locally available chemicals, and devices bought from e-commerce websites.

The accused, Inderjit Singh alias Rinku, was an engineering graduate and has also done MBA. He was currently working with a private company in Faridabad.

"Singh, a resident of Faridabad, was nabbed on Wednesday from SAS Nagar (Mohali), and explosive materials, including chemicals and advanced electronic remote control devices, were seized from his car bearing Haryana registration number," the spokesperson said.

"By nabbing the radicalised youth, trained in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with the help of Pakistan's ISI, the counter-intelligence wing of the Punjab Police has averted a major lone wolf attack in the state," he said.

During interrogation, Inderjit revealed that he was contacted by ISI officers over Facebook about two years ago and since then he had been interacting with them and learning to make explosives with 'Do It Yourself' kits, the police spokesperson said.

"Investigations indicate that Pakistani intelligence officers had chosen him because of his posts and profile on social media, and they went on to radicalise him," he said.

The spokesperson said the Pakistani intelligence officers who contacted Inderjit were also coordinating with the terror module that was busted by the state police's counter-intelligence wing on May 29 last year.

"The mastermind of that terror module, Harbarinder Singh, a resident of Mohali, was also in contact with Inderjit Singh over Facebook. After Harbarinder Singh's arrest, Inderjit was operating as a lone wolf," he said, adding Inderjit was highly radicalised and motivated to carry out terrorist activities.

"The explosive materials recovered from his possession included Digital Remote Control (multifunctional type), light remote control and various other materials including chemicals. The explosive material and the accessories were found concealed in his vehicle, which he had used for travelling from Faridabad to SAS Nagar," he said.

His arrest came close on the heels of the counter-intelligence wing arresting four youths from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district on Monday, who were allegedly trained by the Pakistani intelligence agency and were planning to highlight the Khalistan issue during IPL matches to be held in Mohali.

A case has been registered against Inderjit Singh under the provisions of the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act and the Explosive Substances Act, the spokesperson said, adding further investigation is underway.