— PVC PIPE USED IN PLACE OF CONVENTIONAL METALLIC CASING TO CREATE IED, LIKELY TO EVADE DETECTION: DGP GAURAV YADAV
— ARRESTED ACCUSED WAS IN CONTACT WITH HIS FOREIGN-BASED HANDLER VIA ENCRYPTED MOBILE APPS: AIG SSOC SUKHMINDER MANN
CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, February 10:
In an intelligence-led operation amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) Amritsar has foiled a Pakistan’s ISI-backed terror plot with the arrest of one accused person and recovered an RDX-based Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.
The arrested accused has been identified as Rahul Kumar alias Gaju, a resident of Chamrang Road in Amritsar. He works as an assistant in a salon in Amritsar.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has indicated that the arrested accused was in contact with a foreign-based handler acting under the instructions of Pak-based handlers. Probe has also revealed that accused Rahul retrieved the consignment from a designated location on the outskirts of the city following the instructions of his foreign-based handler, he said, while adding that the device was concealed in a PVC pipe casing, likely to evade detection.
The DGP said that further probe regarding the ultimate disposal/destination of the IED is being conducted.
Sharing operational details, AIG SSOC Amritsar Sukhminder Singh Mann said that following a credible intel-input about the consignment containing IED pushed from Pakistan, police teams have launched an operation and arrested suspect Rahul alias Gaju after recovering IED from his possession.
The AIG said that arrested accused came in contact with his foreign-based handler during his visit to Punjab in 2022 and they remained in contact with each other through encrypted mobile apps. The foreign-based handler initially cultivated Rahul by providing him with small amounts to meet his expenses before tasking him with this assignment, he said, while adding that further investigation is ongoing.
In this regard, a case FIR No. 08 dated 09.02.2026 has been registered under section 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substance Act, section 25 of the Arms Act and sections 111 and 61 (2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station SSOC Amritsar.
