Chandigarh/Patiala: In a major breakthrough in the Shambhu railway track attempted IED blast case, Punjab Police have seized a substantial cache of militant hardware and thwarted potential terror attacks, officials said on Wednesday.
According to Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, the recovery was made during a joint operation by Patiala Police and the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, in the village of Panjwarh Khurd in Tarn Taran district. The haul included a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), a metallic improvised explosive device (IED), RDX, a hand grenade and several high-end pistols.
Police said the recovered items comprised one RPG, a 2.296 kg sticky bomb with detonators, 1.456 kg of RDX, a P-86 hand grenade, and three pistols — including a 9mm Glock-18 — along with magazines, live ammunition, wireless communication sets and timer switches.
The operation follows an explosion near the Shambhu railway track in Patiala on Monday night, in which the principal accused, Jagroop Singh alias Jupa, was killed when the device he was allegedly planting detonated prematurely.
Within hours of the incident, police arrested four alleged members of the module — Pardeep Singh Khalsa, Kulwinder Singh alias Bagga, Satnam Singh alias Satta and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi — and recovered additional arms, communication devices and laptops.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said the latest recovery was based on disclosures made by Satnam Singh, the brother of the deceased accused. Investigations indicate that the module received financial support routed through Malaysia by a handler operating under the name Jujhar Singh.
He added that the handler was in contact with US-based operative Surinder Singh Thikriwal, while Pakistan-based Ranjeet Singh alias Neeta — a designated terrorist — was also linked to the network through a layered communication chain.
Police are also examining possible links between the module and the Sirhind railway track blast in January this year, as well as a grenade attack on CIA Moga in November 2025.
Senior Superintendent of Police Varun Sharma said the accused had concealed a large portion of the arms consignment in a stable and a vehicle at the Tarn Taran location, which was subsequently recovered during the coordinated search operation.
An FIR has been registered at Kotwali Police Station, Patiala, under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Explosive Substances Act, the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Investigations are ongoing to dismantle the wider network and trace further links.
