BKI’s modus operandi: Rope in small-time criminals for ‘big jobs’

The Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) module busted by Ludhiana police and counter-intelligence wing over recent attacks on right-wing Hindu leaders has again revealed a pattern adopted by ISI-backed, pro-Khalistan modules to involve gullible petty criminals to perform the task.
Those arrested on Tuesday in Ludhiana are petty criminals and a case of NDPS was registered against two of them.
“They hurled petrol bombs on the directions of their handlers just for a few thousand of rupees. Primary investigation reveals that the accused were not even aware about the sensitivity of the case,” a police official involved in the probe said.
“In VHP leader Vikas Parbhakar’s murder too, the accused are little-known bunch of criminals and performed the task just for few thousand of rupees,” the police said.
These are not stray incidents in which petty criminals were hired by foreign-based handlers to attack socio-religious leaders or fanning terror in the state. In recent terror cases in Punjab, similar pattern has been adopted, a senior police official said.
In December 2022 RPG attack at Sarhali police station in Taran Tarn too, seven juveniles were involved and were promised money. The Punjab Police adopted a humanitarian approach and let them off. Those who hurled RPG were also juveniles and all were promised some money.
In the September 11 Chandigarh grenade blast case, accused Vishal Masih and Rohal Masih don’t have a criminal background.
The probe has revealed that USA-based gangster Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, who is working at the behest of Pak-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harvinder Singh, alias Rinda, and ISI, handled the accused by providing explosives, weapons and logistical support but reneged on promised rewards to the accused.
In this case, the investigators have found that the duo was not paid even a penny even as advance.
The same pattern of betrayal by foreign-based handlers has been observed in previous investigations as well, wherein they initially lure innocent local youth with false promises and later abandon them once the act is done.
“It is a worrisome trend. How can any agency track some anonymous youth randomly picked by these handlers while sitting in foreign lands using social media by luring them with paltry amount,” said a senior internal security officer seeking anonymity.