Amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) SAS Nagar has busted a foreign-based terror module and foiled a major terror conspiracy with the arrest of two operatives and recovered one fully assembled RDX-laden Improvised Explosive Device (IED), weighing approximately 2.5 kg, and Glock pistol along with four live cartridges from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday.
Those arrested have been identified as Mahavir Kumar alias Kaka, a native of village Qalam in SBS Nagar and currently residing at Ghanuali in Rupnagar and Manpreet Singh alias Mani, a resident of village Qalam in SBS Nagar. The recovered IED was fitted with dual detonation mechanisms— remote and timer.
DGP Gaurav Yadav preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were acting under the directions of foreign-based handlers and had concealed the IED near the SBS Nagar bypass after retrieving the consignment for further instructions regarding the intended target. The device was fully assembled and ready for use, indicating an imminent threat to public safety, he said.
The DGP said that further investigation is underway to dismantle the entire network and trace the supply chain and funding links. Sharing operational details, AIG SSOC SAS Nagar Deepak Pareek said that acting on specific intelligence inputs police teams have arrested suspects Mahavir alias Kaka and his associate Manpreet Singh from District SBS Nagar. At the time of arrest, one Glock pistol was recovered from possession of Mahavir alias Kaka, he said.
The AIG said that during sustained interrogation, Mahavir disclosed that he had retrieved a consignment containing the IED, which he had concealed near SBS Nagar bypass and was awaiting further instructions regarding the intended target. Acting promptly on his disclosures, police teams have recovered the IED and a remote control device from the spot pinpointed by the accused, he said.
In this regard, a case under relevant sections of Explosive Substances Act and Arms Act at Police Station SSOC Mohali.