Punjab police arrest two Ludhiana men planning targeted killings; 9MM pistol and live ammunition seized, investigation underway.
Punjab police : State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) SAS Nagar, in coordination with Counter Intelligence Ludhiana, has arrested two Ludhiana-based accused who were planning a targeted killing on the orders of foreign-based handlers and recovered one 9MM pistol and five live cartridges from their possession in a significant intelligence-led operation during the ongoing effort to make Punjab a safe and secure state in accordance with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s directives, said DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav .
The people who were taken into custody are Avtar Singh, who lives in New Shimlapuri, Millerganj, Ludhiana, and Karanbir Singh, who lives in Haibowal Kalan, Ludhiana. The latter has a history of criminal activity; multiple cases under the IPC Act and the Arms Act have been filed against him.
According to the DGP, preliminary inquiry has shown that the arrested suspects were connected to hardline extremist ideology and had contact with handlers headquartered in Germany and the United Kingdom who were part of the Khalistan Commando Force (KCF). He claimed that as part of the plan, the two detained accused had carried out reconnaissance of government and important offices in Ludhiana on their orders.
According to the DGP, the investigation has also shown that both of the detained suspects were assigned to obtain information and carry out preparations for a few further specified people.
AIG SSOC SAS Nagar D Sudarvizhi shared operational details, stating that a joint team of SSOC SAS Nagar and CI Ludhiana conducted a targeted operation and arrested both of the accused from Ludhiana after acting quickly on credible information that these individuals were planning to carry out a targeted killing in the area. One 9MM handgun and live ammunition were found in Avtar Singh’s possession during the investigation, she claimed.
According to the AIG, the investigation also showed that the two defendants were recruited and radicalized by their overseas handlers, who assigned them the duty of disseminating extremist content on social media. According to her, more research is being done to determine both forward and backward connections in this instance.
Accordingly, a case FIR No. 1 dated 05.01.2026 has been filed at Police Station SSOC SAS Nagar under provisions 113(5) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).