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India Gazette
15 hours ago
- India Gazette
NIA chargesheets BKI operative Rinda among seven in Gurdaspur Police Station grenade attack case
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against seven accused individuals, including Babbar-Khalsa International (BKI) operative Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, in the December 2024 case related to the Gurdaspur police station grenade attack. Of the seven accused, three are still absconding, in the grenade attack by BKI terrorists on the Ghanie Ke Bangar police station in Batala of Punjab's Gurdaspur district. The BKI claimed the attack on social media by Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, and Gurpreet, alias Gopi. US-based BKI operative Harpreet Singh, along with Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, as well as Shamsher Singh alias Shera alias Honey, are the three absconders chargesheeted by the NIA in the case on Thursday. The four accused chargesheeted by the anti-terror agency have been identified as Kuljit Singh, Abhijot Singh, Gurjinder Singh and Shubham, all residents of Qila Lal Singh village in Batala. All seven accused have been chargesheeted under various sections of UA (P) Act and Explosive Substances Act, as well as other related provisions, for their roles in the conspiracy and execution of the attack, which took place on December 12, 2024. NIA, which took over the case on March 23 this year, found during the investigation that at Rinda's behest, Happy Passia, had recruited Abhijot Singh through his node, Shamsher Singh alias Shera alias Honey in Armenia, to carry out the terror attack. Abhijot has also been arrested by the NIA in a separate case relating to a targeted shooting in Sector 10, Chandigarh. On his return from Armenia, Abhijot had engaged in picking up and dropping off weapons and explosives at the direction of his foreign-based handlers. He had expanded his gang by recruiting Kuljit Singh and other co-accused. According to the NIA, on December 9, 2024, Kuljit had picked up the grenade used in the attack on Ghanie Ke Bangar police station. (ANI)
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Why retreat ceremony is not the same anymore
There have been several military escalations, and wars, between India and Pakistan in the past, but the retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border largely remained unchanged. The Pahalgam terror attack, however, has altered the core of the ceremony, which has also faced allegations of being a vulgar display of nationalism from both sides. The pomp and show of the 'competitive parade' between the Border Security Force (BSF) troops and Pakistan Rangers on the zero line was always the main attraction of the ceremony. Both forces would encourage the audience on their respective sides to chant nationalist slogans. Songs would play and people invited to dance. This created a charged atmosphere on one of the most tense borderlines in the world. All this is going on even after the Pahalgam attack. Many people on the Indian side, driven by curiosity, would attend the ceremony to catch a glimpse of Pakistan and its people — and the same was true for the other side too. Some would wave to each other across the border and exchange smiles. Though BSF and Rangers did not officially encourage such behaviour, they often turned a blind eye to these brief moments of people-to-people connection. Following the Pahalgam attack, India decided to keep the gate on its side closed during the ceremony, which has significantly affected visibility. With the gates on the zero line closed, the opportunity for the audience to observe the other side has almost disappeared. They also miss the eye contact and synchronization of steps between BSF soldiers and Pakistani Rangers. Now, the Indian audience can only watch the BSF, and the same goes for the Pakistani audience on their side. Earlier, BSF soldiers and Rangers would come very close to the zero line, almost crossing it during the intense parade. Spectators could judge who performed better on a given day. Now, it feels more like a one-sided event. There used to be an iconic moment when the flags of both countries were lowered diagonally. The flags would slowly descend and intersect in the middle — a moment tourists were eager to capture in their cameras and phones. The parade used to end with a handshake between the soldiers. Flags still get lowered in same way, but the closed gates have stolen the glamour of ceremony. Laos, there are no more handshakes. 'I've come to watch the retreat ceremony for the second time. The last time was about two years ago. Back then, the gates were open, and we could clearly see the performance of the Pakistan Rangers. We could also see their audience. But now, the ceremony is limited to the BSF performance,' said Harwinder Singh from Muktsar, Punjab. For many, visiting the zero line is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In May, many people from South India visit Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, and they usually spend a day in Amritsar during the journey to pay obeisance at Darbar Sahib and watch the retreat ceremony. 'I wanted to see what Pakistan looks like. My relatives visited this place two years ago and had taken photos of the Pakistani side during the retreat ceremony. But now the gates are closed, and there's not much of Pakistan visible,' said a visitor. The crowds have yet to return to the retreat ceremony. On Wednesday, only a little over 2,000 people attended — a sharp drop from the average footfall of 10,000 on regular days, which can increase to 25,000 on weekends. Gurinder Singh Johal, Chapter Chairman of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, said, 'If the gates remain closed for long, it will diminish the charm of the retreat ceremony. Tourists won't enjoy it as much. But we hope the situation improves and the gates are gradually reopened. The retreat ceremony is an important part of Amritsar tourism, and thousands of families depend on it for their livelihood. The month of May has already been lost, but we are hopeful that summer vacations will bring footfall back to normal.' 'I had seen videos of the retreat ceremony on YouTube. Today's show was nowhere near those,' said Siddharth Patil from Maharashtra.
Hindustan Times
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Leaked chat: Two more arrested over ‘assassination' plot
The Moga police have arrested two more persons for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to target the political leaders. The arrested accused have been identified as Harwinder Singh of Rajeana and Sukhchain Singh of Malliana village, both in Moga district. A case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other sections was registered in Moga on April 21, and since then, the police have arrested five persons, including a 17-year-old boy, for their alleged role in terror activities. The accused were arrested on Tuesday night. They were produced before a Moga district court on Wednesday and were sent to two-day police remand. According to the police, there were at least 30 members of Waris Punjab De on the WhatsApp chat group who were found plotting to target Union home minister Amit Shah, Union minister Ravneet Bittu and others over the extension of Khadoor Sahib MP's detention under the National Security Act (NSA) for one more year. The alleged conspiracy was exposed through leaked chats on social media platforms on Sunday. HT couldn't independently verify the veracity of the chats. Investigators said that digital data is being analysed to identify more accused who were members of the said chat group with objectionable content.
