Mann says arrests made, promises strict action

CHANDIGARH: A day after a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Mohali-based intelligence wing headquarters of the Punjab police, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said “some arrests” have been made and the strictest punishment will be meted out to those trying to spoil the state’s atmosphere. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) V K Bhawra said they have got a few leads and the case will be solved soon.

At a meeting with the chief minister, the DGP informed the former that some suspects have been taken into custody for interrogation.

A rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the third floor of the highly-guarded building in Mohali’s Sector 77 at 7:45 pm on Monday, following which an alert was sounded in Punjab.

The chief minister held a meeting with the DGP and top officials of the intelligence wing on Tuesday and directed the state police chief to probe the matter thoroughly.

Mann said nobody would be allowed to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in Punjab, adding that a few inimical forces are constantly trying to foment trouble across the state, but they will never succeed in their nefarious designs.

After his meeting with the DGP, the chief minister said: “Some arrests have been made and more will be made. Whoever tries to spoil the atmosphere of Punjab will not be spared and the strictest punishment will be given to them, which their coming generations will remember.”

Later, after a meeting with senior officials at the intelligence wing headquarters, Bhawra told reporters in Mohali that a projectile had hit the building and the explosive used in it seems to be TNT (trinitrotoluene).

“There was nobody in the room when the incident occurred. The impact was on the wall,” the DGP said.

“But it is a challenge and we are making allout efforts to solve the case,” he added.

To a question on whether it was a terror attack or there was any Khalistani angle in it, Bhawra said whatever comes out of the investigation, “we will let you know”.

“We have leads and we will soon solve this case,” he said. A preliminary investigation pointed towards the involvement of two men who came in a car and used an RPG for firing at the building.

The incident is being seen as a major intelligence failure as the building houses the state counter-intelligence wing, the special task force, the anti-gangster task force and some other units.

Police are also suspecting the involvement of gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda, who is believed to be in Pakistan, in the incident.