CHANDIGARH, Apr 4: Five individuals, part of a module backed by Pakistan’s ISI, have been arrested in connection with the blast incident outside the Punjab BJP headquarters in Chandigarh, said Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Saturday.
The Counter-Intelligence wing of Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Chandigarh Police, solved the Chandigarh grenade attack case, DGP Yadav said.
Police recovered one hand grenade and one .30 bore Zigana pistol along with ammunition from their possession, the officer mentioned further.
Those arrested have been identified as Balwinder Lal alias Shami of village Majari in SBS Nagar, Jasvir Singh alias Jassi of village Bharapur in SBS Nagar, Charanjit Singh alias Channi of village Sujawalpur in SBS Nagar, Rubal Chauhan of village Thana in Shimla and Mandeep alias Abhijot Sharma of Dhuri in Sangrur.
According to DGP Yadav, preliminary investigations revealed that the module was backed by Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence and operated under the directions of foreign-based handlers located in Portugal and Germany. The accused were part of a structured network involving multiple operatives to execute the attack.
Furthermore, the DGP stated that two key perpetrators involved in the attack have also been identified, and ongoing investigations aim to establish both forward and backward linkages in this case.
Sharing further details, Assistant Inspector General, State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), SAS Nagar, Deepak Pareek said the investigation further revealed that the accused had transported a consignment containing hand grenades, arms and live cartridges. This consignment was circulated through multiple operatives before reaching the final perpetrators.
The AIG stated that, acting on the instructions of a handler based in Portugal, the accused coordinated the delivery and execution of the attack. Police teams are currently conducting raids to apprehend the absconding individuals involved in the incident.
An FIR has been registered under relevant Sections of the Arms Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station SSOC SAS Nagar. The explosion occurred around 5 pm on Wednesday when a suspected crude explosive device was hurled near the office, officials had said. No casualties were reported.
The Punjab BJP headquarters is located in Sector 37 in Chandigarh. An unverified video that surfaced on social media on Wednesday evening shows a man pulling the pin from a blue-coloured grenade and throwing it, while another person records the act. The duo is seen fleeing just moments before the blast.
Their faces were not visible in the 10-second video, and the authenticity of the footage has yet to be verified. CCTV camera recordings also captured suspects running across the road immediately after the explosion. In a separate unverified social media post attributed to Sukhjinder Singh
Babbar of the banned Babbar Khalsa International, the outfit claimed responsibility for the incident. (Agencies)
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