Ludhiana court blast case: Five, including juvenile, arrested

Tribune News Service

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, May 20

The Special Task Force of Punjab Police have arrested five people, including a juvenile, in the Ludhiana Court Complex blast case, which occurred on December 23, 2021. The case was being investigated by the National Investigating Agency (NIA).

The juvenile used to provide 'technical support' by generating international numbers from the internet for calling, which were used by the traffickers for smuggling of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) from Pakistan.

Those arrested included Sawinder Singh, alias Bhola, of Dhanoe Khurd village, Dilbagh Singh, alias Baggo, of Chak Allah Baksh village, Harpreet Singh of Dhanoe Khurd and Surmukh Singh of Panju Kalal village.

Mohinish Chawla, IG Border Range, on Friday said the IED used in Ludhiana blast was smuggled from Pakistan through a drone. It was retrieved by Dilbagh Singh a couple of days before the incident. He handed over the IED to Surmukh Singh who handed it over to Gagandeep Singh, a dismissed Punjab Police cop, who was killed in the blast while planting the IED in the court complex.

The IG said Surmukh was earlier arrested in another IED seizure case in January this year. He was now arrested in this case after being brought on production warrant from jail.

Giving details, IG Chawla said the STF got specific inputs that Lakhbir Singh Lakha and his one accomplice (who was later found to be a juvenile) were involved in trafficking of drugs and arms from across the border. They were in touch with Pakistan-based drug smugglers through Whatsapp.

He said a case under Sections 21, 23, 29 of NDPS Act and Sections 4, 5 of Explosives Act was registered at STF Mohali. He said during operation the juvenile was arrested and he gave the names of other accomplices.

During investigation, Sawinder and Dilbagh revealed that they got a packet containing 1kg heroin worth Rs 5 crore in international market on May 12 late night. The consignment was smuggled by Lahore-based trafficker Haji Akram of Dayal village. The STF recovered the contraband from their possession. Dilbagh was also in possession of two Pakistani SIMs.

During further interrogation, Dilbagh Singh conceded to his role in Ludhiana bomb blast case.

“The role was juvenile was not found in cross border smuggling hence he was produced in the court and send to observation home at Ludhiana. We are requesting the court to discharge him keeping in view his juvenile status,” said Chawla.

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