In a major breakthrough, the Punjab Police, in a coordinated operation with the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, arrested a suspect involved in planting a bomb near the main gate of the Border Security Force (BSF) Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar on May 5.
The police remain tight-lipped about the proceedings of the investigation, and no official confirmation had been shared at the time of reporting.
As per available reports, the suspect, Umar Deen, was working as a taxi driver and had been living near Zirakpur for the past few months.
The blast took place on the evening of May 5, when a parked scooter exploded right outside the main gate of the BSF Punjab Frontier headquarters at BSF Chowk around 8.15 pm. Just a few hours later, a second low-intensity explosion took place near the Khasa Army cantonment in Amritsar.
According to sources, the suspect planted IED, reportedly concealed in a scooter, after conducting a two-day recce of the site.
According to Delhi Police sources, CCTV footage and preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect boarded a bus from the Jalandhar bus stand shortly after the explosion and travelled to Delhi, where he was apprehended.
His links with other accused and possible handlers are currently under investigation. Investigating agencies are also probing the role of Pakistan-based gangsters and agencies behind the incident.
Meanwhile, security agencies have arrested Anil Sharma, a resident of Uttar Pradesh. Investigators are probing whether a larger conspiracy was involved.
Sources said that police have so far interrogated over a dozen suspects in connection with the blast cases.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav had earlier confirmed that IEDs were used in the twin attacks.
The Khalistan Liberation Army reportedly claimed responsibility. However, the DGP stated that such outfits are often proxy fronts allegedly created at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI to project Punjab as a disturbed state.
