Punjab Police nab two terror operatives in Amritsar with grenade, launcher

The Punjab Police on Tuesday said it has nabbed two terror operatives and seized a rocket-propelled grenade along with the launcher, which was intended for a "targeted" attack.

"In an intelligence-based operation, Amritsar Rural Police, in close coordination with central agencies, apprehends two terror operatives Mehakdeep Singh @ Mehak and Aditya @ Adhi from #Amritsar and recovers one Rocket Propelled Grenade (#RPG)," Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said in a post on X.

"Preliminary investigation reveals that the accused were in contact with #Pakistan's ISI operative who had sent the weapon, and with Harpreet Singh @ Vicky, currently lodged in #Ferozepur Jail," he said.

The DGP further said the RPG was intended for a "targeted terror attack".

Meanwhile, a police statement said Mehakdeep Singh alias Mehak is a resident of Wadali in Amritsar and Aditya alias Adhi is a resident of Bhaga Chhina village in Amritsar. Police have also impounded a motorcycle that they were riding.

The statement quoted the DGP as saying that a preliminary probe has revealed that the accused were in contact with an operative of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), who had sent the consignment from across the border via drone.

The DGP said further investigations are underway to establish forward and backward linkages in the case to unearth the entire network.

Sharing operational details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amritsar Rural, Maninder Singh, said acting on intelligence inputs about the retrieval of an RPG-22 Netto anti-tank rocket launcher by Mehakdeep and Aditya on the directions of Harpreet alias Vicky, police teams arrested both the suspects when they were on their way to deliver the consignment.

Investigations are on to identify those who were supposed to receive the consignment, the SSP said, adding that Harpreet alias Vicky will also be brought here from the Ferozepur Jail on a production warrant for further questioning.

An FIR was registered on Tuesday under the provisions of the Explosives Substances Act and section 113 (terrorist act) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Gharinda police station in Amritsar Rural.