The man killed in the Ludhiana district court blast was carrying the explosion, Punjab DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya said on Saturday, adding that they suspect Pakistan’s role but cannot conclude anything as the investigation is underway. However, the accused was in “touch with other conspirators in jail and outside”.
“The deceased person, former policeman Gagandeep Singh, was carrying the explosion. He was dismissed from service in 2019 and spent two years in jail following his arrest in a drug-trafficking case,” Chattopadhyaya said.
The DGP added that Singh wanted to “scare the judiciary”. “His case was to come up for hearing in court. He was very well versed with the system, and wanted to assemble the bomb in washroom. It was not a case of human bomb,” Chattopadhyaya added. He further said that forensic report is however awaited.
Police had earlier said they suspect that the man killed in the blast on the second-floor toilet of the court complex was trying to assemble or plant the explosive device. Singh’s family at Khanna in Ludhiana is also learnt to have identified him, the sources said.
“I don’t think it is RDX but we are awaiting the report. The suspect was alone at the spot,” the DGP said.
Meanwhile, the police have detained Singh’s friend, Gagandeep Khanna, who is a constable and is posted at SP’s office. She was taken into custody based on the inputs received by the police. “At present, it is not clear if the blast could have a link to the woman. But Khanna, along with seven others, is being interrogated, including a dismissed policeman of Nawashahr, who is involved in a drug smuggling case, an official said.
The SIM card of the deceased is believed to have helped identify him. The explosion took place in the court complex on Thursday, killing Singh and injuring six others, prompting the Punjab government to declare a high alert in the state.
Earlier in Friday, Ludhiana Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said they have got important clues during investigation, which would prove to be useful in cracking the case. Police had earlier said a preliminary probe had revealed that the deceased was probably the carrier of the explosive or a human bomb himself. He had a “religious” tattoo on his arms. A mobile phone has also been recovered from the debris, police had said.
Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju visited the Ludhiana district court on Friday and said the Centre and the state will work together to ensure strong action against the domestic and foreign elements trying to disturb the peace and harmony in Punjab as well as in the country. He said central and state agencies are already conducting an in-depth probe into the incident.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment