New Delhi, Nov 21:
Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday showed proof of Pakistani link to the Amritsar blast and announced the arrest of one accused involved in the attack. The arrested accused has been identified as 26-year-old Bikramjit Singh. The cops have also recovered the motorcycle used in the attack.
Briefing media about the developments, Amarinder blamed Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence for fomenting trouble in the state. The chief minister said the second accused involved in the attack has also been identified and efforts are on to nab him. He lauded the security forces for their quick action and reiterated that it was a “pure terrorist activity” and there was no religious angle to the incident. “We have busted 17 modules. 81 people have been arrested. 77 arms have been seized, in addition to IEDs, grenades, etc … our forces are always one step ahead of them (terrorists),” Amarinder said. Displaying the picture of the grenade used in the attack, Amarinder said the blast carries ISI’s signature. “This is the type of grenade which has been taken from other modules. This is the one being used against forces in Kashmir. This one is made under license by Pakistan ordnance factory and is filled with pellets,” he said. “The ISI has been very active. You will now find the activity moving south. We will have to be on our guard … won’t let acts of terror happen in our country,” Amarinder told reporters. Three people including a preacher were killed and over 20 injured when two-motorcycle borne men threw a grenade on a religious congregation on the outskirts of Amritsar on Sunday, an incident which police are treating as a terrorist act. The Punjab Police had found striking similarities between the modus operandi of the perpetrators of the grenade attack at a Nirankari congregation in Amritsar and the one allegedly planned by an ISI-backed terror module busted in Patiala early this month.
In the wake of Amritsar grenade attack, the Punjab Police has beefed up security arrangements in the state and stepped up highway-patrolling and checking of key installations and busy places.
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