Suspect taken to Fazilka
A 29-year-old man wanted in connection with a grenade attack on a police station in Punjab’s Fazilka district has been arrested in Faridabad in a coordinated operation involving the Haryana and Punjab police, officials said. The accused, identified as Kulwant Singh alias Kulwant Ali, was subsequently taken to Fazilka, where investigators are examining his alleged role in the attack and other cases linked to the movement of arms and explosives.
Singh, a resident of Alike village in Fazilka district, is accused of involvement in the attack on Jalalabad City police station on September 13. Police have not disclosed further details about the weapon used or the immediate damage caused in the incident in the material available. The investigation is continuing, and the allegations against the accused are yet to be tested through due legal process.
The arrest followed information shared by the Punjab Police about Singh’s suspected presence in Faridabad. A joint team comprising the Haryana Police Special Task Force, Faridabad district police and Punjab Police traced him to his aunt’s house in Panchayati Jhuggi village, which falls under the Chhainsa police station area.
According to the police account, Singh had reached Faridabad on the night of October 26 and was staying at the house. He was apprehended on Wednesday morning. Yashpal Yadav, the Faridabad Police public relations officer, confirmed the arrest and said the Punjab Police had taken charge of the further investigation.
Further investigation into the case is being carried out by the Punjab Police.
The arrest has also brought attention to a separate case involving a suspected cross-border consignment recovered in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district. A senior Haryana police officer said Singh was suspected of having links to the seizure of 7.7 kg of RDX, two foreign-made pistols, four magazines and 867 live cartridges.
Police allege cross-border links
Police said the consignment was allegedly dropped by a drone from Pakistan on October 12. Two suspects, including one from Alike, were arrested while attempting to collect it, according to the police. Investigators are examining whether the same network was involved in the Jalalabad attack and whether instructions or logistical support were provided from outside India.
Authorities have also alleged that Singh was linked to operatives based in Pakistan and suspected him of having contact with Pakistan-based gangster and terror operative Shehzad Bhatti. Such allegations form part of the investigation and will require corroboration through evidence, including questioning of the accused and examination of the cases in which he is named.
Police said two people arrested in the Sri Ganganagar case later told investigators that they had carried out the Fazilka attack on Singh’s direction. On that basis, investigators suspect that he may have been the alleged mastermind behind the grenade attack. The police version, however, remains an allegation at this stage, with the case now being pursued by Punjab authorities.
Key details in the investigation
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Accused | Kulwant Singh alias Kulwant Ali |
| Age | 29 |
| Home district | Fazilka, Punjab |
| Arrest location | Panchayati Jhuggi village, Faridabad |
| Primary case | Grenade attack on Jalalabad City police station |
| Other suspected link | Recovery of explosives, firearms and ammunition in Sri Ganganagar |
The operation illustrates the role of inter-state coordination in cases that cross administrative boundaries. The alleged attack took place in Fazilka, the suspect was traced to Faridabad in Haryana, and the separate arms recovery was reported from Rajasthan. Police forces in the three locations are therefore dealing with connected lines of inquiry, although the available information does not establish the final legal findings in any of the cases.
For Punjab, the case carries particular significance because the accused is alleged to have targeted a police establishment in Fazilka and is also suspected of involvement in the movement of explosives and weapons. The recovery cited by police includes material capable of causing serious harm, but investigators have not publicly detailed how the items were intended to be used or whether all the seized material was connected to the Jalalabad incident.
Singh’s transfer to Fazilka is expected to allow Punjab Police to question him in the grenade attack case and examine the alleged chain of contacts described by the Haryana Police. Investigators will also have to establish the sequence of events involving the September 13 attack, the October 12 consignment and Singh’s stay in Faridabad before his arrest.
The operation was confirmed by Faridabad Police, while Punjab Police are conducting the continuing probe. Further developments are likely to depend on the evidence gathered during questioning and on the findings in the linked cases involving the alleged cross-border consignment.
