Mohali explosion: Raids conducted across Punjab, no arrest yet

By PTI

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police on Wednesday said it has conducted raids across the state and rounded up suspects for questioning in connection with the explosion at its intelligence wing headquarters in Mohali.

Police said they are examining the CCTV footage to trace the people involved in the incident.

In an audacious attack on Monday, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was fired at the third floor of the highly-guarded building in Mohali’s Sector 77 at 7.45 pm, which sent the state in a high alert mode.

“Raids have been conducted across the state and possible suspects are being rounded up and questioned. CCTV footages are being extensively analysed to find out about the suspects involved,” the state police said in a statement. “Forensic experts are being roped in to further develop on clues regarding the case,” the statement said.

In a CCTV footage of the grenade attack, regular traffic movement could be seen on the road in front of the building of the intelligence wing headquarters.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light when a car passed through the road, suggesting that the RPG was fired from that car, as per the footage that surfaced on Wednesday. The video footage also shakes with the impact of the blast. However, it was not visible in the footage who fired the RPG.

Meanwhile, police have detained a man from Tarn Taran district in connection with the Mohali explosion, sources said on Wednesday.

Nishan Singh, a resident of Kulla village, will be questioned for his alleged role in the Mohali explosion incident, said the sources.

Singh is already facing several criminal cases, including one related to attempt to murder and another under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The police on Tuesday had said that it had recovered the launcher used in the attack.

The Mohali police had on Monday termed the explosion at the headquarters as minor. Police are suspecting the involvement of gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda, who is believed to be in Pakistan, in the incident.

Rinda has been taking the help of local gangsters to carry out anti-national activities here, police sources said. His name came up when a terror plot was foiled recently with the arrest of four suspected Pakistan-linked terrorists in Haryana’s Karnal.

Rinda’s involvement was also detected in a hand-grenade attack at the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) office in Nawanshahr last month.

In his statement after the attack, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had promised strictest punishment to those trying to spoil the state’s atmosphere.

Mann, who had held a meeting with the Director General of Police V K Bhawra and other senior officials on Tuesday, had said that nobody would be allowed to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of Punjab.

A case under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Explosives Act was lodged at Mohali’s Sohana police station after the incident.

Punjab Police chief Bhawra had earlier said that a projectile had hit the building and the explosive used in it seems to be TNT (trinitrotoluene).

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