Security agencies in Punjab averted a potential tragedy after the Indian Army successfully defused explosives stored in the home of 19-year-old Gurpreet Singh, a law student from Jeeda village in Bathinda. Gurpreet, described by police as a "self-radicalised" youth, had reportedly been plotting a fidayeen (suicide) attack after being influenced by online propaganda.
The case came to light after two high-intensity explosions rocked Gurpreet’s residence on September 10. The blasts left him and his father, Jagtar Singh, critically injured. Gurpreet’s right hand had to be amputated, while his father sustained serious wounds in the second explosion. The family initially admitted him to a private hospital, where staff alerted police upon noticing the nature of his injuries.
Following his discharge from AIIMS Bathinda, Gurpreet was formally arrested on Wednesday and presented before a district court via video conference, which remanded him to seven days of police custody.
Investigators allege that Gurpreet had been consuming Pakistan-based propaganda videos that portrayed Kashmiris as being harassed and humiliated. An officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed:
“He wanted revenge and planned to carry out a suicide attack. He was using a fake identity to follow Islamic radical content on social media.”
Preliminary questioning revealed that Gurpreet had purchased explosive chemicals and a multi-pocket suicide vest online. He allegedly planned to travel by bus from Bathinda to Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir on September 11, targeting a strategic Indian Army base. However, his plan was disrupted when the chemicals exploded prematurely in his house.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bathinda, Amneet Kondal, confirmed that a multi-pocket vest was recovered from the house, along with Gurpreet’s mobile phone, which contained evidence of his radicalisation.
She added:
“All we have found so far is that Gurpreet was influenced by watching digital content. He had plans to become a human bomb but mishandled the explosives before he could carry out his mission.”
In addition to Punjab Police, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and the Indian Army are jointly investigating the case. Experts from the Army’s bomb disposal squad arrived in Jeeda village on Thursday to neutralise the remaining explosives.
Sources also revealed that Gurpreet had previously been treated at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh for psychiatric issues. Officials are probing whether his mental health condition played a role in his radicalisation.
Authorities are now interrogating Gurpreet to determine his exact motives, potential accomplices, and whether he was in direct contact with any extremist handlers. Security agencies are also examining how he procured the explosive materials and whether similar plots may be underway elsewhere.
This case has raised fresh concerns about the growing reach of online radicalisation, especially among impressionable youth in India.
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