The Punjab Police have arrested two operatives linked to the Pakistan-ISI-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist network in connection with the blast at the Nalagarh police station in Himachal Pradesh on January 1.
The arrested accused have been identified as Shamsher Singh alias Sheru alias Kamal and Pradeep Singh alias Deepu, both residents of Rahon in Nawanshahr district of Punjab. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) has also been recovered from their possession.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the arrests mark a major breakthrough in the case and confirmed that the operation was carried out in coordination with the Himachal Pradesh Police and central agencies. He said investigations have revealed the involvement of a narco-terror module linked to BKI, which is backed by Pakistan’s ISI.
According to preliminary investigations, the arrested accused, along with two of their associates, transported an IED from Punjab to Himachal Pradesh on December 31, 2025. The explosive was later used in the Nalagarh police station blast on January 1, 2026, as part of a larger conspiracy to target police establishments.
Police said the accused were acting on the instructions of Gurpreet alias Gopi Nawanshahr and Sushant Chopra, a close associate of BKI mastermind Harvinder Rinda. The role of the accused came to light during the investigation of a case registered under the NDPS Act at Rahon police station.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tushar Gupta of Nawanshahr said that based on disclosures made by the accused and follow-up action, police teams recovered an IED from a location pointed out by them, further confirming their role in the terrorist conspiracy. He said two more associates of the arrested accused have been identified and raids are underway to apprehend them.
Police have registered a case against the accused at Rahon police station under provisions of the Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigations are continuing to trace forward and backward linkages of the terror module.
