Mohali blast: 11 detained by Punjab Police, case filed under UAPA

Highlights

The Mohali Police called it an RPG-like attack and termed the blast a minor one
The detained men are being questioned by police & intelligence agencies at an undisclosed location
The attack at Punjab Police's Intelligence HQ is also being seen as a major intelligence failure

Mohali Blast Latest News: Eleven people have been detained by the Punjab Police in connection with an explosion at the Intelligence wing headquarters of the state police in Mohali. Sources said that the state police and other intelligence agencies are interrogating the detained persons at an undisclosed location.

Sources said that the police have filed a case against unidentified people under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

A rocket-propelled grenade had hit the Intelligence Wing headquarters of Punjab Police in Mohali on Monday night, shattering windowpanes on one of the floors of the building. According to police, no one, however, was injured in the explosion, which political parties termed "disturbing" and "shocking".

The explosion took place at around 7.45 pm at the office located at sector 77 in Mohali. The windowpanes on one of the floors of the building were shattered because of the explosion.

CM Mann promises action

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said 'strictest' punishment will be given to those who tried to spoil the atmosphere in the state by attacking the Intelligence Wing headquarters of Punjab Police in Mohali and highlighted that "some arrests" have been made in the case. Mann also held a meeting with Punjab Director General of Police VK Bhawra and top officials of the Intelligence Wing here and sought a report on the incident.

"I held a meeting with the DGP and officers of the Intelligence in the wake of the incident that happened in Mohali yesterday. All the details are coming out. Some arrests have been made and more will be made," he said. "I want to say that whosoever tries to spoil the atmosphere of Punjab will not be spared and they will get the strictest punishment which their coming generations will remember."

"Very soon, the culprits will be behind bars," the Chief Minister.

The incident took place days after the arrest of four suspected Pakistan linked terrorists in Haryana's Karnal and the arrest of two people with the recovery of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) packed with 1.50 kg RDX from Tarn Taran district in Punjab. The explosion also came close on the heels of the recovery of an explosive device near Burail Jail in Chandigarh on April 24.

'We have leads, will soon solve case'

Punjab Police on Tuesday said it has leads and will solve the case soon. Director General of Police (DGP) V K Bhawra after a meeting with senior officials told reporters here that a projectile had hit the building and the explosive used in it seems to be TNT (trinitrotoluene).

"There was nobody in the room when this incident occurred. The impact was on the wall," the DGP said. "In the wake of yesterday's incident, we held a meeting here in which officers of the intelligence (wing) and the district police chief were present," Bhawra said.

To a question on whether it was a terror attack, the DGP said whatever will come out in the investigation, "we will let you know".

"We have leads and we will soon solve this case," he said, adding that "it is a challenge and we are making our best efforts to solve this case".