Chandigarh, Jan 29 (PTI) Punjab Police has arrested two men, who were allegedly part of a narco-terror module linked to the proscribed outfit Babbar Khalsa International, from Nawanshahr in connection with a blast outside a police station in Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh, on January 1, officials said on Thursday.
Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav, said the accused were arrested in an operation conducted in coordination with the Himachal Pradesh Police and Central agencies.
The duo has been identified as Shamsher Singh alias Sheru alias Kamal, and Pardeep Singh alias Deepu, both residents of Rahon in Punjab’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, the DGP said.
Police also recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) from their possession,
he added.
Several residents of Nalagarh in Solan district woke up on New Year’s day to the sound of the blast that took place near a police station in the town, creating cracks on the windows of nearby buildings, including those of an Army canteen 40 metres away.
A social media post, claiming to be that of the proscribed outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and a little-known group, Punjab Sovereignty Alliance, claimed responsibility for the explosion the same day.
The post claimed the IED blast was in retaliation to Himachal Pradesh Police “not taking action against smuggling of synthetic drugs manufactured in Himachal Pradesh into Punjab”.
DGP Yadav said the two accused were acting on the directions of Shushant Chopra, a close associate of gangster Gurpreet alias Gopi Nawanshahria and BKI mastermind Harwinder Rinda.
Preliminary investigation revealed that on December 31, 2025, the accused and their two accomplices transported an IED from Punjab to Himachal Pradesh, which was later used to trigger the Nalagarh blast, as part of a larger conspiracy targeting police establishments.
Nawanshahr SSP Tushar Gupta said one IED was recovered from a spot pinpointed by the accused, further corroborating their involvement in the terror conspiracy.
Police also identified the two accomplices of the arrested duo and efforts are underway to arrest them, he said.
The accused have been booked under the relevant sections of the Arms Act, Explosives Substances Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. PTI CHS ARI
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