Ludhiana blast case solved, external angle under scanner: DGP
Chandigarh, Dec 25 (UNI) Punjab Director General of Police Siddarth Chattopadhyaya on Saturday said the Ludhiana district court blast case that left one dead was solved within 24 hours by the joint efforts of Punjab Police, Intelligence and central agencies. He didn’t rule out external angles as alleged accused has Khalistani links.
The explosion that rocked poll-bound Punjab and saw reverberation in national politics, saw Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju rush to Ludhiana a day after to take stock.
Addressing a press conference here, the DGP said the police found many leads. The spot was immediately cordoned off and thoroughly investigated on Thursday when the blast left at least six injured.
Tattered clothes, mobile SIM and a tattoo on the one casualty set the pace of the probe.
Preliminary investigation showed the deceased was a dismissed Punjab Police Head Constable Gagandeep Singh. He was carrying the explosive, the DGP said.
A case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered against the dismissed police personnel in 2019 after recovery of 385g of heroin from him. At that time he was posted as a munshi at Sadar Khanna police station.
Chattopadhyaya said Gagandeep was arrested and remained in jail for two years where he made links with Khalistani and mafia elements and narcotics smugglers. The dismissed cop was out on bail.
He said the investigation into the blast case is ongoing.
The DGP said police have detained more persons and also investigating external conspiracy angles.
Chattopadhyaya, who took charge in mid December, replacing Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, said when he had joined, terrorism was the only challenge, but now drugs mafia, organised crime and terror have added a dangerous cocktail and the Ludhiana blast is an example of that.
On the sacrilege case at Golden Temple, the DGP said a Special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the matter and the case will be cracked soon.
He said the accused has not been identified yet.
On the alleged sacrilege incident in Nizampur village of Kapurthala, Chattopadhyaya said after probe it was found that it was not a case of sacrilege.
The man came there for theft, was lynched by mob. He said police have registered a murder case against those who killed him and appealed to the public not to take law in their hands.
UNI