ISI-Linked Conspiracy Under Scanner as Punjab Police Bust Babbar Khalsa International Module

Chandigarh : A major suspected terror conspiracy allegedly planned ahead of Independence Day on August 15 has been foiled in Punjab after a joint operation by the Punjab Police Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar, and SBS Nagar Police uncovered a suspected Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module and seized 86 hand grenades.

According to the preliminary investigation, the network was allegedly being operated with the assistance of handlers based abroad, with investigators probing whether the explosives were intended to facilitate attacks or create disruption in the run-up to Independence Day.

Police have arrested a suspected key operative or associate in connection with the case, while further investigation is underway to establish the full extent of the network and identify other individuals who may have been involved.

Investigators suspect that the accused obtained the explosives through a dead-letter box near the Adampur area of Jalandhar, allegedly acting on instructions from overseas handlers. A dead-letter box is a covert method sometimes used by criminal or terrorist networks to exchange items or information without direct contact between the individuals involved.

The seizure of such a large quantity of explosives has prompted security agencies to intensify their investigation, particularly given the heightened security arrangements traditionally put in place across the country ahead of Independence Day. A case has reportedly been registered at the Sadar Nawanshahr Police Station in SBS Nagar under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Explosive Substances Act.

Police are now examining both the forward and backward links of the suspected module to determine who supplied the explosives, who may have provided logistical support and whether additional local associates or operatives remain at large.

Investigators are also working to determine the intended destination and possible targets of the seized grenades; officials have indicated that these details will become clearer as the investigation progresses. Authorities have said that efforts against suspected cross-border terror networks will continue in order to safeguard peace and security in Punjab.

The operation comes at a particularly sensitive time, with security agencies maintaining heightened vigilance across the country ahead of August 15, and the recovery of 86 hand grenades is expected to trigger further scrutiny of suspected terror networks and their links within and outside India.

The seizure has raised serious security concerns ahead of Independence Day, while investigators continue to trace the suspected network’s financial, logistical and operational links. Police have yet to establish the exact intended use of the explosives, and the investigation remains ongoing.