Chandigarh, July 16: The name of Portugal-based fugitive Badalpreet Singh has surfaced as the suspected mastermind behind a recent petrol bomb attack targeting a property dealer’s residence in Pandori Waraich village. Police sources stated that Badalpreet, a native of the same village, is allegedly operating an active extortion racket from Europe and is suspected of working in coordination with external intelligence agencies.
According to investigators, the pressure tactics were deployed after the victim, Vikram Singh, refused to comply with an extortion demand of thirty lakh rupees. The physical assault on the residence, which involved three petrol bombs, was carried out to intimidate the property dealer into meeting the financial demands of the overseas operative.
The Amritsar Rural Police successfully apprehended two local associates, identified as Gurlal Singh and Krishan Singh, following a brief armed encounter near Bhaini village on Tuesday. The police declared that the suspects opened fire at a checkpoint to evade arrest, prompting retaliatory fire in self-defense. Gurlal sustained a gunshot wound during the exchange, while Krishan was detained unhurt, with both individuals subsequently remanded to three days of police custody by a local court.
Aside from local extortion activities, federal agencies have been tracking the prime suspect for his involvement in broader regional conspiracies. Badalpreet remains wanted by the National Investigation Agency in connection with a grenade attack on the Thakurdwara temple in March last year. While several accomplices in that case have already been arrested or neutralized in prior encounters, investigators maintain that neutralizing his overseas network remains a top priority for state security.
