IED blast: Probe revealed target was inspector-rank official

Days after a senior constable was critically wounded in the IED blast while defusing it, it has been learnt that the IED recovered by the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) was meant to target an inspector-rank official.

Cops associated with the investigation are tight-lipped over this. Nevertheless, sources said the IED was to be planted by operatives of ISI-supported Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa International, but the police got an intelligence input and it was recovered from a police station where the cop was deputed. The SSOC had recovered the IED along with two hand grenades. It was safely shifted to the SSOC office complex to be defused later on.

As per the laid-down procedure, a bomb disposal squad was summoned from Jalandhar and after defusing the same, the IED and hand grenades were being shifted safely. However, an explosion took place in the IED leading to critical injuries to senior constable Gurpreet Singh.

Initially, the police remained in denial mode over the incident, however, when The Tribune highlighted the incident, the police released the statement admitting to the blast and injury to the cop.

According to the sources, the IED was meant to target an inspector-rank official who had made significant seizure of arms, weapons and drugs while busting BKI modules and arresting their operatives. The cop had earlier got threats from the terrorist organisation.