PETROL BOMB ATTACKS ON SHIV SENA LEADERS: PUNJAB POLICE NABS FOUR PERSONS AS BKI-BACKED FOREIGN-BASED INDIVIDUALS EMERGED AS MASTERMINDS

CHANDIGARH: In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state, Punjab Counter Intelligence and Ludhiana Commissionerate Police in a joint operation have solved the petrol bomb incidents targetting Shiv Sena leaders with the arrest of four members of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) module being operated by foreign-based individuals Harjit Singh alias Laddi and Sabi, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Jaswinder Singh alias Binder, a resident of Boothgarh in Ludhiana; Ravinder Pal Singh alias Ravi (38), Manish Sahid alias Sanju (30) and Anil Kumar alias Honey (27), trio residents of Rahon in Nawanshahr. Police teams have also recovered two mobile phones and impounded the red coloured TVS Raider motorcycle (PB 32 AC 3770) used to commit the crimes.

“This operation has successfully solved the petrol bomb incidents targeting Shiv Sena leaders, including the October 16, 2024, attack on Yogesh Bakshi’s residence and the recent November 2, 2024, incident at Harkirat Singh Khurana’s home in Model Town Extension, Ludhiana,” informed DGP Gaurav Yadav in a post on his X handle (formerly Twitter).

As per the information, three unknown persons hurled a petrol bomb on the house of Shiv Sena leader Yogesh Bakshi located at New Chander Nagar in Haibowal, Ludhiana at around 9.40pm on October 16. A little over a fortnight after a similar petrol bomb attack took place on the house Shiv Sena Leader Harkirat Singh located in Model Town Extention on the intervening night of Saturday.

The DGP said that foreign-based handler Harjit Singh alias Laddi is also an accused wanted in the murder of Vikas Prabhakar in Nangal, Punjab, and carries a bounty of Rs 10 Lakhs as announced by National Investigation Agency (NIA). Further investigations are ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages in this case and more arrests are expected in coming days, he added.

Sharing operation details during an interaction with media, Commissioner of Police (CP) Ludhiana Kuldeep Singh Chahal said that acting promptly to trace both the cases, various teams of Ludhiana Commissionerate Police and Counter Intelligence (CI) were formed under the supervision of DCP Investigation Shubham Aggarwal. The CI team was led by AIG Simratpal Singh Dhindsa, while, ADCP Investigation Ludhiana Amandeep Singh Brar, ADCP Zone-3 Ludhiana Ramandeep Singh Bhullar, ACP Civil Lines Ludhiana Akarshi Jain and ACP West Ludhiana Gurdev Singh were leading different teams, he added.

He said that the meticulous investigations including following the trail of CCTV footages and gathering of technical evidences led the the arrest of four members of BKI module involved in executing both the crimes.

The CP said that the police teams have recovered the red coloured motorcycle used by accused persons in both the crimes. Accused persons Anil alias Honey and Ravinder alias Ravi were found present in both the incidents, while, arrested accused Jaswinder alias Binder had accompanied them in Haibowal area, he said. “We have also identified the third person involved in hurling petrol bomb at a house located in Model Town Extension and police teams are on manhunt to nab him,” said the CP.

In this regard, two separate cases including FIR no 147 dated 21-10-2024 u/s 125, 285, 324 BNS, later 113(2) BNS added, at Police Station Haibowal, Ludhiana and FIR No 14 dated 02-11-2024 u/s 125, 285, 324, 3(5) BNS, later 113(2) BNS added, at PS Model Town, Ludhiana were already registered.