Punjab police on Friday said they had solved last week’s RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) attack in the state’s Tarn Taran district. Director-General of Police Gaurav Yadav said seven accused had been arrested and that Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh Landa orchestrated an attack that involved two juveniles attacking the Sarhali Police Station with a RPG.
Yadav said a ’70-mm calibre’ RPG – commonly used by terrorists – was used and that this had been sourced from across the border – a reference to Pakistan.
“We have solved the RPG attack case which was carried out at the Sarhali Police Station (in) Tarn Taran on December 9. In this attack, a 70 mm caliber RPG 26 normally used by mujahideen was used… was sourced from across the border…”
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“(The) mastermind is Lakhbir Singh Landa, a wanted terrorist who is sitting in Canada. He got it executed through his two Europe-based handlers – Satbir Satta and Gurdev Jassal. They operated mainly through one Ajmeet Singh, who is lodged in Goindwal Sahib jail.”
Punjab’s top cop said that other weapons were also seized.
“We have (recovered) RPG 26 and the launcher, .32 bore pistol with 15 bullets, hand grenades, .30 bore pistol with 35 live bullets and .32 bore pistol with five live bullets. Bike used in crime was also recovered.”
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A low-intensity blast was reported from a building in the Sarhali Police Station complex late on the night of December 9. The projectile hit an iron gate and damaged an inside wall but no one was injured or died.
Sources told news agency PTI the grenade did not actually explode.
After the attack, multiple agencies swung into action, including the National Investigation Agency over a suspected ‘terror link’
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Last week’s attack was the such attack in the state in the past seven months. In May a RPG was fired at the Punjab Police’s intelligence HQ in Mohali.
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Aam Aadmi Party boss Arvind Kejriwal, whose party is now in power in Punjab, has vowed ‘stringent action’ against those responsible.
With input from ANI, PTI