DGP says the accused were operatives of US-based terrorist Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passian and US-based drug smuggler Sarwan Bhola

The Punjab Police on Tuesday said they had arrested two men for their alleged involvement in the hand grenade lobbying incident outside the Gumtala police post in Amritsar.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the accused were operatives of US-based terrorist Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passian and US-based drug smuggler Sarwan Bhola.
Yadav said those arrested had been identified as Bagga Singh of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar in Sirsa, Haryana, and Puskaran Singh alias Sagar of Amarkot in Amritsar.
Police also recovered a hand grenade and two sophisticated pistols along with ammunition from their possession.
On January 9, a loud boom was heard outside the Gumtala police post. Police at that time had denied any explosion and claimed that the sound was that of a car radiator exploding.
Following the incident, terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa International had used a social media platform to claim responsibility for the terror act.
Yadav said investigations revealed that accused Bagga Singh is a relative of Sarwan Bhola, who is the brother of notorious smuggler Ranjit Singh alias Cheeta, currently lodged in Bathinda jail in the 532-kg heroin recovery case.
Sarwan is also wanted in the heroin recovery case and carries Rs 2 lakh reward announced by the National Investigation Agency.
The DGP said further investigations are in progress in a scientific manner to establish forward and backward linkages in this case and unveil the entire terror module.n
Assistant Inspector General, Amritsar, Sukhminder Singh Mann, said following the attack at Gumtala police post, police launched an intelligence operation and arrested Bagga Singh from Sirsa and Pushkaran Singh from Amritsar.
Their arrest led to the recovery of explosives and weapons, police said.