Punjab police in India Tuesday say they have arrested four alleged members of a pro-Khalistan extremist module accused of plotting an attack on railway infrastructure. The arrested accused have links to their handlers in Pakistan and Malaysia. 

The senior officers told a press conference that the arrests are linked to an attempted late-night blast near the Shambu area targeting a railway track. The area is a border between Punjab and Haryana provinces and an important transit point. 

Patiala range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Kuldeep Singh Chahal and Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varun Sharma said the suspects were taken into custody along with a cache of weapons and equipment. DIG Chahal said that the investigation was going on and the further details will be shared.

“We have been questioning the accused regarding their planning and possible targets in the state, it seems to be a bigger conspiracy, our teams are working on it and we will unearth it,” DIG Chahal stated.

The accused have been identified as Pradeep Singh Khalsa of Mansa, Kulwinder Singh of Bappiana village in Mansa, Satnam Singh of Tarn Taran, and Gurpreet Singh of Goindwal Bypass in Tarn Taran. The police officers said that all the accused have criminal background.

Investigators allege Khalsa was the key figure in the group, maintaining links with pro-Khalistan operatives based in Malaysia as well as suspected arms suppliers in Pakistan. Police also recovered a hand grenade, two .30-calibre pistols with ammunition,  laptop, and some communication devices.