Police investigating recent bomb attacks across Punjab have found a troubling pattern: the suspects are college dropouts who learned how to make petrol bombs online and were paid very little money for carrying out the attacks.
Over the past fortnight, authorities have made several arrests in connection with separate incidents. The Sangrur police arrested two young men for throwing petrol bombs at the BJP office. In Patiala, three youngsters were taken into custody for throwing a bomb at a house. The Amritsar police dismantled a nine-member gang linked to a cross-border terror module that was reportedly planning to attack Jantar Mantar in Delhi during the students' protest. Another case was reported from Garhshankar, where a bomb was hurled at a de-addiction centre.
Online Recruitment and Training of College Dropouts
Investigators say the common thread in these cases is how the suspects were recruited and trained. In two of the cases, those arrested were recruited online by foreign-based handlers. The recruits were taught how to make petrol bombs using online resources — a skill they had no prior knowledge of.
According to the original story, all those arrested are college dropouts. This points to a deliberate targeting of young people who may have left education and are vulnerable to online radicalisation or financial lure.
Small Payments for Serious Crimes
Perhaps the most striking detail in these cases is the payment involved. The suspects were offered what investigators describe as a pittance — a very small amount of money — for carrying out attacks that could have caused serious harm or loss of life.
The low payment suggests that the handlers are exploiting vulnerable youth rather than investing heavily in trained operatives. These are not professional terrorists; they are young people who dropped out of college and were drawn into violence for minimal financial reward.
Our Take: A Warning Sign for Families and Authorities
To put it plainly, this is a disturbing trend that should worry every parent and every citizen. The fact that college dropouts are being recruited online to make petrol bombs for small payments shows how terror networks are adapting their methods.
These handlers are not looking for ideologically committed fighters. They are looking for desperate or impressionable young people who can be convinced to commit violence cheaply. The online training makes it easier — no physical camps, no direct contact, just instructions delivered through the internet.
For families, this is a reminder to stay alert to what young people are doing online. For law enforcement, these cases show that the threat is not just from organised terror cells but from loose online networks that can turn vulnerable youth into attackers. The pattern across Sangrur, Patiala, Amritsar, and Garhshankar is clear — and it demands a coordinated response.