Chandigarh, March 15 (IANS): The Punjab Police Intelligence Wing on Friday busted a gang of anti-national elements who were planning to carry out major criminal activities in the state.

"Acting on a specific input, a police party from the Special Operations Cell, Amritsar, has arrested three people from Amritsar," a spokesperson of the Punjab Police said.

The police have recovered two pistols of .32 bore along with three magazines and 14 live cartridges from their possession.

Those arrested include Baljit Singh from Ajnala, Jagdev Singh from Baba Bakala and Manjit Singh from Amritsar.

"The three have been associated with different radical organisations and were actively involved with radical activities across Punjab. The trio got in touch with each other through social media and were planning to target persons responsible for sacrilege incidents in Punjab and the Hindu Shiv Sena leaders," the spokesperson said.

He said the accused had procured weapons from Indore.

"The exact origin of the recovered weapons is being ascertained and the supplier is being identified," he added.

Baljit Singh worked as a 'granthi' (Sikh preacher) at a gurdwara in Nagpur for about four years and recently shifted to Ajnala near Amritsar.

During a search of his residence, literature relating to different radical organisations have been seized, police said.

"It is also being ascertained if the accused were being funded and tasked by the radical organisations. Besides, the Indian and foreign contacts of the arrested persons are also being examined," the spokesperson added.