Batala (Gurdaspur), May 17 — A man was booked in Batala on Saturday after panic broke out in the town’s Focal Point area when a suspicious object resembling a hand grenade was found near a liquor shop. Police later confirmed the object was a hoax planted as part of a publicity stunt.
“Police acted promptly after a video of the suspected grenade surfaced on social media,” said Gurdaspur SSP Suhail Qasim Mir. “Bomb disposal teams were called in and the area was secured. Later, a man identified as Manu Agwan confessed to placing the object for publicity.”
Agwan has been booked, and a formal case has been registered against him.
The incident comes amid heightened security across Punjab’s border districts following Operation Sindoor. Gurdaspur, where Batala is located, remains on high alert. Over the past seven months, Punjab has recorded 16 grenade attacks. While no casualties have been reported, the increasing frequency of such incidents continues to concern law enforcement.
