Man detained for ‘aiding’ Mohali intel HQ attackers
HT Correspondent
CHANDIGARH/MOHALI: A man from Tarn Taran district has been detained in connection with the explosion at the Punjab Police’s intelligence wing headquarters in Mohali, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday.
Jagrup Singh, a resident of Mehndipur village in the Khadoor Sahib region of the district, was detained after the investigating team got a strong lead about the role of some suspects in providing logistical help and arranging stay for the attackers, a senior police officer part of the probing team said, asking not to be named.
Singh was lodged in Faridkot jail on murder charges and had come out on parole a few days back, the official added.
On Monday, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the third floor of the intelligence wing headquarters building at 7.45pm, sending the state into a high alert mode.
The Punjab Police said they have recovered the rocket launcher used in the RPG attack. The Russian-made launcher was found in bushes around 1km from the intelligence headquarters, an officer said on condition of anonymity, adding that RPG-22 with firing range of 700 metres was used in the attack.
There were reports of another Tarn Taran resident, Nishan Singh, being detained in this case. However, the Faridkot police later clarified that he was arrested in a different case of smuggling of weapons.
“Faridkot police have found no link of Nishan with the Mohali blast. Neither any higher authority nor agency has sought his custody from us so far,” superintendent of police (detective) Faridkot, Bal Krishan Singla said, adding that Nishan has been sent to fiveday police remand.
Earlier, the police said they have already rounded up several suspects for questioning.
On Wednesday, a CCTV footage of the RPG attack on the building Mohali’s Sector 77 also emerged, one of the people cited above said.
In the footage, a car was seen moving on the road in front of the intelligence headquarters building. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, people cited above said.
Investigators, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were focusing on the role of gangster-turned-khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda, who hails from Tarn Taran district and was wanted in at least 24 criminal cases in Punjab and Maharashtra, before he fled to Pakistan two years ago.
Senior police officials said preliminary probe suggested the attack was executed by members of a local gang active in Punjab and Haryana, at the behest of Rinda.
Soon after the attack, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann promised strictest punishment to those trying to spoil the state’s atmosphere. Mann, who held a meeting with the director general of police and other senior officials on Tuesday, said nobody would be allowed to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of Punjab.
A case under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Explosives Act was lodged at Mohali’s Sohana Police Station after the incident.
Director general of police K Bhawra had earlier said that a projectile had hit the building and the explosive used in it seems to be TNT (trinitrotoluene).