Punjab Police has busted two cross-border terror modules allegedly backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and arrested nine people, including four juveniles. The operation exposed a larger conspiracy that included a planned terror attack at Delhi's Jantar Mantar during the recent student protests. Police also recovered illegal weapons, petrol bombs and live cartridges during the crackdown.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav announced the breakthrough on Tuesday. He said, "In a big breakthrough, Amritsar Commissionerate Police busted two ISI-backed cross-border terror modules, apprehended nine accused, including four juveniles, and recovered 3 illegal pistols, 4 petrol bottle bombs, and 9 live cartridges."

The police said their preliminary investigation found that foreign-based ISI handlers were trying to recruit local youth to carry out terror-related activities in India. The investigation revealed that one of the major targets was Delhi's Jantar Mantar during the recent student protests.

According to the police, the first terror module was traced to the Rajasansi area of Amritsar. It consisted of Sukhman Singh and three juvenile associates. Investigators said the group had received instructions to attack Jantar Mantar during the protests.

During questioning, Sukhman Singh admitted that he had been in contact with an ISI handler based in Pakistan. Police said he confessed that he was assigned the task of carrying out the attack at Jantar Mantar during the protest.

The investigation further revealed that Sukhman and his associates had travelled to Delhi to execute the plan. However, they failed to carry out the attack due to heavy security deployment at the protest site. Police said the group returned to Punjab after abandoning the plan.

Investigators also found that an accomplice from Uttar Pradesh was expected to provide weapons and explosives to Sukhman and his associates in Delhi. The planned handover did not take place as the security arrangements prevented the operation from moving forward.

According to sources, Pakistani gangster and terrorist Shahzad Bhatti is believed to be the key figure behind this terror module operating in Punjab. Sources also claimed that another module, which had earlier been arrested by the Kolkata Special Task Force (STF), was also expected to reach Jantar Mantar. The members of that module were reportedly in contact with associates linked to Shahzad Bhatti through more than six WhatsApp numbers.

Police also uncovered another part of the conspiracy during the investigation. The accused had allegedly been assigned the task of conducting reconnaissance of police buildings and gathering information about police personnel in Punjab. Investigators believe this information was intended to support future terror activities.

The second terror module came to light during the investigation into suspicious CCTV cameras that had been installed near railway tracks last month. The discovery had raised security concerns, prompting a detailed investigation by Punjab Police.

The probe revealed that video footage captured by these cameras was allegedly being shared with foreign handlers. Investigators suspect that the surveillance was meant to collect sensitive information related to railway infrastructure and movement.

The police identified the arrested accused as Vansh Kumar (19) and Anmol Singh alias Sahil (20), both residents of Patti in Tarn Taran district. Harman Singh alias Hammu (24), Sukhdev Singh (30) and Sukhman Singh (19), all from Amritsar, were also arrested. The remaining four accused are juveniles.

Sharing details of the operation, Commissioner of Police (CP), Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that acting on specific intelligence, police teams intercepted Vansh Kumar and one of his juvenile associates. During the search, officers recovered one illegal .32 bore country-made pistol along with three live cartridges from their possession.

Bhullar said the investigation later uncovered the financial trail linked to the installation of surveillance cameras near railway tracks. Police found that the payments for installing the cameras had been made through Paytm by Sukhdev Singh. He is currently lodged in Central Jail, Amritsar. The transactions were allegedly carried out on the instructions of his fellow inmate Harman Singh alias Hammu.

Police obtained production warrants for both Sukhdev Singh and Harman Singh. They were brought out of jail for questioning and were formally arrested in the present case.

The investigation is still underway as police continue to examine the network, identify additional links and trace others connected to the conspiracy. Officials are also working to establish the full extent of the communication between the accused and their foreign handlers. The latest operation has exposed an alleged attempt to recruit local youth, collect sensitive information and plan attacks at public locations, highlighting the continued efforts of security agencies to prevent cross-border terror activities.