Punjab Police have announced a significant breakthrough with the dismantling of two ISI-backed cross-border terror modules. Nine individuals have been apprehended, including four juveniles, and arms and ammunition have been recovered.

The arrests highlight the continuing attempts by foreign handlers to recruit local youth for terror-related activities, with one of the planned targets being Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

The first module was intercepted in the Rajasansi area. It included Sukhman Singh and three minor accomplices. Investigations revealed that the group had been tasked with carrying out an attack at Jantar Mantar during recent student protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party.

Sukhman confessed during interrogation that he was in contact with an ISI handler based in Pakistan and had travelled to Delhi with his associates. However, the attack could not be executed due to heavy security arrangements. It was further disclosed that an accomplice from Uttar Pradesh was supposed to provide weapons and explosives, but the plan failed and the group returned to Punjab.

Sources have indicated that Pakistani gangster and terrorist Shahzad Bhatti is behind this module. The Kolkata STF had earlier apprehended another group linked to Bhatti, which was also supposed to target Jantar Mantar.

The accused were found to be in touch with Bhatti’s network through more than six WhatsApp numbers, underscoring the extensive digital communication channels used to coordinate these plots. The investigation also revealed that the accused had been assigned to conduct reconnaissance of police buildings and personnel in Punjab, expanding the scope of their operations beyond Delhi.

The second module was uncovered during an investigation into suspicious CCTV cameras installed near railway tracks last month. Footage from these cameras was allegedly being shared with foreign handlers, raising concerns about surveillance of critical infrastructure.

Among those arrested are Vansh Kumar (19) and Anmol Singh alias Sahil (20) from Patti in Tarn Taran, along with Harman Singh alias Hammu (24), Sukhdev Singh (30), and Sukhman Singh (19) from Amritsar. The remaining four accused are juveniles.

Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar shared operational details, noting that acting on reliable intelligence, police teams intercepted Vansh Kumar and his juvenile associate, recovering a country-made .32 bore pistol and three live cartridges.

Further investigation revealed that financial transactions for installing surveillance cameras near railway tracks were conducted through PayTm by Sukhdev Singh, who is currently lodged in Central Jail, Amritsar. These transactions were made at the instance of his fellow inmate Harman Singh alias Hammu. Both were brought on production warrants and formally arrested in connection with the case.

The recovery of three illegal pistols, four petrol bottle bombs, and nine live cartridges underscores the seriousness of the threat posed by these modules. The arrests demonstrate the persistent efforts of Pakistan’s ISI to destabilise India by recruiting vulnerable youth and directing them towards violent activities.

The swift action by Punjab Police has prevented potential attacks on symbolic and sensitive locations, but the investigation continues to trace funding routes, digital communication networks, and additional operatives linked to these modules.

Agencies