Five accused have been arrested on Saturday in connection with the explosion outside BJP Punjab Headquarters in Chandigarh. Chandigarh police and the counter-intelligence wing of the Punjab police also recovered one hand grenade and other ammunition in the joint operation.
The arrested accused have been identified as Balwinder Lal alias Shami, Jasvir Singh alias Jassi, Charanjit Singh alias Channi, Rubal Chauhan and Mandeep alias Abhijot Sharma. Two key perpetrators involved in the attack, identified as Gurtej Singh and Amanpreet Singh, are currently on the run, and police teams are conducting raids to arrest them.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the module was backed by Pakistan's ISI and operated under the directions of foreign-based handlers located in Portugal and Germany. The accused persons were part of a structured network involving multiple cutouts and sub-modules to execute the attack.
The investigation has further revealed that the accused transported a consignment containing hand grenades, arms, and live cartridges. The consignment was circulated through multiple operatives before being handed over to the final perpetrators. Acting on the directions of Portugal-based handler Baljot Singh alias Jot, the accused persons coordinated the delivery and execution of the attack
During the course of the investigation, joint police teams recovered one live hand grenade and one Zigana 30 bore, along with 10 live rounds.
Further investigation is underway to uncover the complete network, trace the supply chain, and establish backward and forward linkages of the module.
