Punjab Police arrest two operatives of terror module in Himachal blast case

Chandigarh, Jan 29 (IANS) Punjab Police have achieved a major breakthrough in the investigation relating to the Nalagarh police station blast in Himachal Pradesh by uncovering the involvement of a narco-terror module linked to Pakistan’s ISI-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror network by arresting two of its operatives, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.  

The operation was conducted in coordination with the Himachal Pradesh Police and Central agencies. Those arrested have been identified as Shamsher Singh, alias Sheru, alias Kamal, and Pardeep Singh, alias Deepu, both residents of Rahon in Nawanshahr. Police teams have also recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) from their possession.

DGP Yadav said the arrested operatives were acting on the directions of Shushant Chopra, a close associate of Gurpreet, alias Gopi Nawanshahria, and BKI mastermind Harwinder Rinda. The DGP said preliminary investigation has revealed that on December 31, 2025, the arrested accused, along with their two accomplices, had transported an IED from Punjab to Himachal Pradesh, which was later used in the Nalagarh blast on January 1, 2026.

Further investigation is ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages in this case, he said.

Sharing operational details, Senior Superintendent of Police (Nawanshahr) Tushar Gupta said during the investigation of an FIR registered under provisions of the NDPS Act at the police station in Rahon, the role of the accused were found to be involved in acting on the directions of Shushant Chopra.

The SSP said that based on disclosures and follow-up action, one IED has been recovered from the spot pinpointed by the accused, further corroborating their involvement in the terror conspiracy. Police teams have also identified the two accomplices of the accused, and raids are being carried out to nab them, he said.

In this regard, a separate first information report on January 29 was registered under Section 25 of the Arms Act, Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosives Substances Act, Sections 10, 13, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Section 113 (1) and 113 (3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in Rahon.

--IANS

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