Rocket-propelled grenade hits Punjab police station, ISI-Khalistan hand suspected

A suspected rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was fired at Sarhali Police Station in Punjab’s border district of Tarn Taran on Friday night. Fortunately, the RPG hit the iron grills of the police station gates and rebounded, leaving the building with only minor damage. There were no casualties.

The police station that lies on the Amritsar-Bathinda highway was hit a little before midnight, said officials. After hitting the iron grills of the gate, the RPG hit the Saanjh Kendra centre, damaging its windowpanes, they added. The Saanjh Kendra centre provides services such as passport verification, giving no-objection certificates, and handing FIR copies.

According to ANI, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said the grenade was fired from the highway around 11.22 pm on Friday night. An FIR has been registered under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). A forensic team and army squad were also present at the site.

This yr, there've been around 200 drone crossings. In last one month, several drones were intercepted, heroin&arms were seized. I believe that the enemy nation is rattled&is carrying out a cowardly attack in the night, to distract: Punjab DGP on low-intensity blast in Tarn Taran pic.twitter.com/TZuflEn26v

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2022

“We will investigate this (incident) technically and forensically. All clues from the crime scene are being collected so that we can reconstruct what happened. We are recovering the launcher,” he added.

The Khalistan link

Officials suspect the attack to have been carried out by Khalistan-backed terrorists with the backing of ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence unit. They believe it could have been ISI’s response to the death of notorious gangster Harvinder Singh alias Rinda, who is believed of have died in Pakistan a few days ago. According to officials, ISI wants his terror to continue in the Sarhali region, his native place.

Rinda was a member of the banned Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International and allegedly involved in various terror cases. He was named as the mastermind of the RPG attack on Punjab Police intelligence office in Mohali in May. He was also allegedly involved Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder.

Also read: Sidhu Moosewala’s father asks Centre to offer Rs 2 Cr reward for Goldy Brar info

Rinda was reportedly shot in Pakistan, with the Davinder Bambiha gang claiming responsibility. However, state police sources have claimed that Rinda was hospitalised with kidney failure for 15 days in Lahore and he died there.

BJP attacks AAP

The BJP was quick to attack the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), blaming it for the “worrying” law and order situation in the state. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa tweeted: “Like the Gandhi family, (Arvind) Kejriwal also wants to usurp power by spreading anarchy in Punjab. A terrorist attack on Tarn Taran police station is proof of the failure of the AAP’s state security. Being a puppet CM of Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann is putting the security of the whole country at risk,” he wrote in Hindi.

Per media reports, Police Station in Tarn Taran attacked by rocket launcher type weapon! This is 2nd RPG attack on a Police Station (Mohali-8 May) in 7months. Very worrying & a disturbing development!

Law & order situation has been in a free fall since AAP formed Govt in Punjab!

— Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) December 10, 2022

“Per media reports, Police Station in Tarn Taran attacked by rocket launcher type weapon! This is 2nd RPG attack on a Police Station (Mohali on May 8) in 7 months. Very worrying & a disturbing development! Law & order situation has been in a free fall since AAP formed Govt in Punjab,” tweeted Jaiveer Shergill, national spokesperson of BJP.

Also read: Look at Haryana, UP before saying anything about Punjab law & order: Bhagwant Mann to BJP

Mann was quoted by the media to have said that the DGP has been ordered to conduct a thorough probe. He reportedly said that preliminary investigation was on and that it was too early to comment on the matter.

(With agency inputs)