Grenade blast case: Accused had plans to carry out terror acts in Punjab, Chandigarh, says agency

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed that two accused in the Sector 10 grenade blast case — Rohan Masih and Vishal Masih — were provided with money, weapons and explosives to carry out terror acts in Punjab and Chandigarh.

The agency made the claim before the NIA court here while seeking production warrant of the two accused, who allegedly hurled a grenade at a house in Sector 10-D here on September 11, 2024.

Initially, the UT police investigated the matter, but later, the case was handed over to the NIA by the Home Ministry.

The NIA said the investigation had revealed that Vishal and Rohan were involved in a larger criminal conspiracy hatched by foreign-based accused Harwinder Singh, alias Rinda; and Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passian, to assassinate a retired Punjab police officer in Chandigarh.

The investigators also found that Rohan had carried out repeated recces of the House No. 575 in Sector 10-D since June last year along with Harpreet. The agency said the custodial interrogation of the accused was required to identify the person who accompanied him during the recce and to recover weapons (2 pistols). The NIA claimed it had also been established that Rohan and Vishal were involved in a firing incident on a businessman of Ramdas in Punjab.

The agency has recovered incriminating chats, videos, photos and foreign numbers found in the mobiles phones of the accused. It is is probing the wider angle of the conspiracy and also how weapons and explosives were smuggled from across border.

Happy had allegedly claimed responsibility for the blast.