72 hours on, police have no clue about attackers’ identity

NOTHING CAN BE ASCERTAINED FROM STATEMENTS OF PERSONS ROUNDED UP TILL NOW, SAYS A COP

CHANDIGARH: The police team probing the RPG blast at Punjab Police’s intelligence wing headquarters in Mohali is still clueless about the identity of the attackers even after three days of the incident.

“Nothing can be ascertained from statements of persons rounded up till now. It has added a lot of challenges and worries for the probe team as well. Were they outsiders? Were they trained terrorists or were they trained suspects from Kashmir ? All these questions are unanswered. Nothing sure can be said at this stage,” said a senior member of the police probe team.

A Mohali police official said teams have also been sent to Uttar Pradesh to nab few more suspects. Punjab Police, it is learnt, is working in close coordination with teams of the army intelligence and NIA experts, who have already visited the site to take samples of the explosive and study the pattern involved in the attack.

Police have detained Jagrup Singh of Tarn Taran district in the case. Nishan Singh, who was arrested by Faridkot police in a case of smuggling of weapon, is also being interrogated by the police in connection with the Mohali blast. Another man, Sonu, a resident of Amritsar and a reltive of Nishan, has also been detained in the case.

Nishan, who was brought to Punjab police’s SSOC interrogation centre in Mohali on Tuesday evening after his arrest by the

Faridkot police, along with the two others detainees have given some vital clues regarding providing logistics for the two attackers. Mohali police are also likely to take Nishan on production warrant in the case.

In their interrogation, it has emerged that the trio made arrangements for the stay of the two boys, who carried out the attack, in Patti of Tarn Taran district. It was also revealed that the attackers repeatedly ate ‘briyani’ from a nearby dhaba during their stay at Patti.

Punjab Police on Wednesday said it has conducted raids across the state and rounded up suspects for questioning. Police said they are examining the CCTV footage to trace the people involved in the incident.

“Raids have been conducted across the state and possible suspects are being rounded up and questioned. CCTV footages are being extensively analysed,” the state police said in a statement.