CHANDIGARH: A joint press note purportedly by the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the Punjab Sovereignty Alliance (PSA) claimed responsibility for the blast on Thursday near the police station at Nalagarh in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh.
The impact of the blast was such that the windows of the police station's investigation room and nearby buildings were shattered.
The note purportedly written by the BKI and PSA claimed that the attack was carried out by their brave 'soldiers' because synthetic drugs are being manufactured in Himachal Pradesh and sent to Punjab. The planning and execution of the mission was allegedly carried out by UK-based Gopi Nawanshahria and Kabal Singh.
"Despite the police administration being aware of it, no action is being taken, and our youth are dying after consuming them. If the administration still does not wake up or no action is taken, then next time IEDs will be planted in the vehicles and headquarters of the police administration, and a response will be given that will be beyond their comprehension. Our fight is not against any innocent person, it is against this dirty system," the note read.
Highly placed sources in the Punjab Police trashed the claim linking the blast to the drug menace. They said it was carried out at the behest of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to spark tensions in the region and seems to be the handiwork of the same elements who carried out blasts in Punjab.
"The youth are hired by foreign-based handlers to get such blasts carried out for money. The BKI and PSA in the past have also made similar claims regarding blasts in Punjab, which were carried out at the behest of the ISI," said an officer. He added that the Punjab Police is in touch with Himachal Pradesh Police to get details of the explosion, including photos and any CCTV footage of the area.
Officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited the crime scene, which has been cordoned off and are investigating the role of the terror outfits. Officials from the forensic science department also visited the blast spot, where a two-and-a-half-feet-deep crater had been created, hinting at the use of an IED.
An official said that they were awaiting the forensic reports to ascertain the type of explosive used in the blast.