Punjab cops see Bishnoi gang-ISI-BKI role in grenade blast, call it bid to create communal unrest

Hours after a grenade attack on the residence of BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar, the Punjab Police today claimed to have arrested two suspects in connection with the incident that they described as a conspiracy by Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to create communal tension in the border state.

The ISI orchestrated the plot in association with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, said the police. Gangsters Zeeshan Akhtar and Shahzad Bhatti, both accused in the murder of Mumbai real estate developer Baba Siddiqui, were the main handlers who arranged the attackers and explosives, said ADGP Arpit Shukla at a press conference.

“Preliminary investigations point to a larger conspiracy by Pakistan’s ISI to disturb communal harmony in Punjab. The plot was coordinated by Zeeshan Akhtar, a close associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, and Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti, who is backed by the ISI,” he said. The ADGP said the accused may be linked to Pakistan-based terror group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) mastermind Harwinder Singh, alias Rinda, and gangster Happy Passia.

Shukla said the case had been cracked within 12 hours, though he did not specify the evidence that linked it to the Bishnoi gang and the BKI. Bishnoi is currently lodged in a Gujarat jail in a terror case registered by the National Investigation Agency.

The ADGP said Punjab Police teams along with central agencies worked round the clock to crack the case. “A big operation to catch several culprits is underway and raids are being conducted. More details cannot be shared,” he said.

Shukla said an e-rickshaw used in the crime had been impounded. Responding to queries, he said the attacks couldn’t be termed an intelligence failure. The Punjab Government had last evening shifted ADGP (Intelligence) RK Jaiswal without giving him a fresh posting.

Punjab