Two alleged accused, including one from Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested by Punjab Police in connection with the recent bomb blast outside the Border Security Force (BSF) Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar, with investigators also probing the alleged role of Pakistani gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti.
The arrested accused have been identified as Umar Deen, a taxi driver residing in Zirakpur near Chandigarh, and Anil, a resident of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. Police sources said both were involved in planting the improvised explosive device (IED), carrying out a recce of the area, and triggering the blast.
Their links with other accused are under investigation. Officials said the alleged mastermind behind the attack is Shahzad Bhatti, and efforts are underway to trace others involved in the supply chain of explosives.
According to sources, the accused allegedly procured explosives from an individual in a border area, and a search is on to identify and arrest the supplier.
Earlier, Punjab Police had confirmed that explosive material was used in the blast that occurred outside the BSF Punjab Frontier headquarters at BSF Chowk in Jalandhar on May 5. A second low-intensity explosion was also reported near the Khasa Army cantonment in Amritsar on the same day.
On May 8, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police detained a suspect on allegations of placing the explosive device. CCTV footage and preliminary investigation suggested the suspect boarded a bus from Jalandhar bus stand shortly after the blast and travelled to Delhi.
Officials also said more than 200 people allegedly linked to Shahzad Bhatti have been detained by Punjab and Haryana Police over time, with their roles being examined.
Earlier, the Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) had claimed responsibility for the Jalandhar blast, stating in a letter that the attack was carried out to avenge the killing of militant Ranjit Singh, who was killed in an encounter in Gurdaspur in February this year. The group alleged that Singh was linked to the murder of a Punjab Police Assistant Sub-Inspector and a Home Guard jawan in Adhian village.