NIA to probe Tarn Taran blast case: Pb govt

Punjab government on Friday said the Centre has accepted its recommendation of handing over the Tarn Taran blast case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the wake of its "national and international ramifications" and suspected links of accused with the Pak-backed Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).

A communique to this effect has been received by the Chief Secretary and DGP, Punjab, a spokesperson said here.

Two persons were killed and one was seriously injured in a blast in Punjab's Tarn Taran district on September 4. The incident took place when three of them were digging a pit at an agricultural field to retrieve a dumped explosive consignment, which they mishandled, the spokesman said.

Police had then not ruled out a terror angle in the incident.

A case under relevant sections of the IPC and the Explosive Substances Act was registered in this regard.

The Punjab Police had then arrested eight members of the Pakistan-backed module, whose interrogations led to a complex web of conspiracy and attacks by the group, including an aborted attack onhigh value target in 2016, the spokesperson said.

Those apprehended so far were identified as Harjit Singh, Manpreet Singh Mann, Chandeep Singh Khalsa alias Gabbar Singh, Malkiat Singh alias Sher Singh, Maandeep Singh alias Massa Singh, Amritpal Singh alias Amrit, Amarjit Singh alias Amarand Gurjant Singh who is under treatment in a hospital.

Seven others, including the module leader and main conspirator Bikramjit Singh alias 'Granthi' (priest), who is believed to be in Austria, are still absconding, the spokesman said.

A 'Granthi' by profession and a follower of Damdami Taksal, Bikramjit was allegedly a highly radicalized individual, and had planned to target high political dignitaries, socio-religious places, local rival politicians, Hindu leaders and Sikh preachers, with the help of local made crude bombs, the spokesperson said.

An IED expert, he also planned to attack police personnel with local made multiple bombs.

The other accused have been identified as Gurpreet Singh (now based in California, USA), Gurwinder Singh alias Prince (now based at Sanjose, California, USA), Sodhi Singh who is presently residing in Armenia, Arwinder Singh alias Honey, Kuldeep Singh and Ranjit Singh alias Bablu who escaped to the US, the day after the attack on a liquor shop in Amritsar on May 3, 2016.

Investigations have revealed strong links of the module members with Pakistan and SFJ, according to a police spokesperson.

Chandeep Singh was found to be in regular in touch with Pak-based Usman. Usman used to send Chandeep WhatsApp messages on Khalistan and also on abrogation of Article 370 by the government, he said.

Usman used to motivate him to work for the establishment of a separate state of Khalistan and unite with Kashmiri Jehadis. Several Pakistani numbers have also been found in Chandeep's contact list, the spokesperson claimed.

Giving further details of the module, he said, Bikramjit used to source material for his explosives from near Haqima gate and Lohgarh area of old city of Amritsar.

He had successfully radicalized most of the module members at a religious place.

Bikramjit had also imparted training in Improvised Explosive Device manufacturing to radicalized module members at his home in village Panjwar and in the house of Gurjant Singh at village Bachere, Tarn Taran.

The module had planned to a target a Dera in Taran Taran district, on order from one Sodhi Singh Khalsa of Armenia, who was also the module's one of the main links to the SFJ.

They had also wanted to target a Hindu Shiv Sena leader, the spokesman said.