Blast suspect''s family counters police claims, alleges false implication

AMRITSAR: Even as the Punjab police claimed on Wednesday to have cracked the Nirankari Bhavan grenade attack case with the arrest of one of the suspects, identified as Bikramjit Singh (26), a resident of Dhariwal village, his mother Sukhwinder Kaur appeared shocked over the development and denied the police charge that he was involved in terrorist activities.

A visibly upset Sukhwinder Kaur, mother of Bikramjit Singh (centre) at Adliwal village on Wednesday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

PK Jaiswar
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, November 21

Even as the Punjab police claimed on Wednesday to have cracked the Nirankari Bhavan grenade attack case with the arrest of one of the suspects, identified as Bikramjit Singh (26), a resident of Dhariwal village, his mother Sukhwinder Kaur appeared shocked over the development and denied the police charge that he was involved in terrorist activities.

"It is unbelievable. My son is innocent and he is being falsely implicated," she said. According to her, Bikramjit was picked up on Monday evening from the village. She said her son was god-fearing person and was not involved in such a dastardly act.

As Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced the arrest, relatives and villagers converged at Bikramjit's residence. Upset, they expressed anguish over the arrest. His uncle Surjit Singh alleged that the police had been saving their skin by implicating Bikramjit in the blast case.

Bikramjit's friend Malkeet Singh who studied with him till higher secondary said Bikramjit was a good natured person. His arrest in the grenade blast case has shocked the entire village. "He used to help people and the question of him killing anyone does not arise," he said.

Sarpanch Rashpal Singh claimed that when the blast took place police personnel in large numbers reached Bikramjit's residence on Monday and searched the entire house. They also took his laptop in their custody.

Bikramjit Singh is a farmer while his elder brother Gursher Singh is in Canada for study purpose. The family owns 7 acre of agricultural land in Dhariwal Bagga village. Bikramjit's father Sukhwinder Singh died when he was five-year-old.

When mediapersons reached his village, announcements were being made from village gurdwara claiming that Bikramjit was innocent.

The other suspect in the case, Avtar Singh Khalsa, runs a medical store and was popular by moniker "doctor". His father also runs a grocery shop nearby. Avtar's entire family had gone underground. Intelligence sources claimed that he had taken education from Damdami Taksal at Ajnala.