Punjab Police carried out a major operation near the Ladowal Toll Plaza on the Delhi–Amritsar National Highway in Ludhiana on Thursday, targeting what officers described as an ISI-backed gangster–terror module linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The operation quickly turned into a gunfight after police moved in to stop a planned exchange of grenades between the suspects. Two men connected to the module opened fire, leading police to retaliate. Both were injured in the encounter and taken to hospital, where one is said to be in critical condition.
Police recovered two Chinese-made grenades, five pistols smuggled from Pakistan, and live ammunition. Officers said this was part of a broader investigation in which three other members of the same module had been arrested earlier. Those arrested include Arsh from Bihar, Ajay from Haryana and Shamsher from Ludhiana. According to investigators, all of them were receiving instructions from a handler in Pakistan who used virtual phone numbers to communicate.
Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma said the module was planning a major attack. “A terror module was being handled by Pakistan-based ISI. Their handler used virtual numbers and gave different tasks to each person. Today, these two men had been told to exchange grenades at fixed locations,” he said. Sharma added that when police set a trap, the suspects noticed the officers and started firing, leaving police with no choice but to respond. He said one suspect was hit by three bullets and the other by one.
This operation comes amid rising concerns about violent crimes and targeted killings in Punjab. In the last week alone, the state has seen a surge in shootouts and police chases. On November 19, Harjinder Singh, also known as Harry, who had links with international gangsters and Pakistan’s ISI, was shot during a police encounter in Amritsar. Harry, who had recently been released on bail, was taken to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, where he died. Police said he had five criminal cases against him and was involved in smuggling weapons from Pakistan using drones. They are now searching for his associate Sunny from Attari, who managed to escape.
Another encounter took place about 120 kilometres away in Ferozepur, where police chased down Gursimran, also known as Jatin Kali, the alleged mastermind behind the killing of RSS worker Naveen Kumar Arora on November 15. Police said Kali opened fire during the chase and was hit by three bullets before being taken to hospital for treatment.
The latest developments also come shortly after an NIA court in New Delhi granted the agency eleven days of custody of Anmol Bishnoi, brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who was deported from the United States. Police say the Bishnoi network continues to have deep links with cross-border handlers and criminal groups operating across several states.
Punjab Police officials said the crackdown will continue, and that more arrests are likely as the investigation expands.
