Anti-terrorist front chief accuses officials of ignoring early warnings, writes to DGP

Sirsa district police and other agencies investigating an explosive attack on the women’s police station on November 25 say the main accused, Dheeraj, also known as “Dhiru”, is refusing to cooperate fully, and investigators may seek an extension of his custody. The eight-day remand of five arrested suspects ends on December 5.

Meanwhile, Gursimran Singh Mand, national president of the International Anti-Khalistani Terrorist Front (IAKTF), told The Tribune that he wrote to Haryana DGP OP Singh on Wednesday seeking a meeting about the Sirsa attack.

He said he had earlier informed the Haryana STF IG and Hisar STF DSP but no serious action was taken. Mand has demanded action against the officers for negligence.

Mand said he had personally warned STF officials that a man from Sirsa was issuing threats, but the matter was dismissed as a Punjab Police issue. In this matter, an FIR was filed in Ludhiana on October 28 but Punjab and Haryana Police did not take timely action against Dheeraj.

According to Mand, he had filed a petition in the Supreme Court on October 5 seeking to declare Pakistani gangster Shehbaz Bhatti a terrorist for allegedly provoking youth in Punjab and Haryana. After that, he began receiving repeated calls from Dheeraj who tried to pressurise him into withdrawing the petition and not to hold protests against Bhatti. Mand said Dheeraj later sent voice messages, threats and claimed he had access to weapons, including rocket launchers. He had also threatened to attack the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and a temple in Jalandhar, Mand claimed.

The police have found several videos on Dheeraj’s social media accounts showing links to Bhatti and Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Investigators say Dheeraj portrayed himself as a close associate of Bhatti and used social media to threaten organisations that opposed Bhatti.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Sirsa is questioning all five arrested suspects. Several other youths have been detained for questioning. The SIT has identified key locations, including the women’s police station and Kharian village, and is probing suspected links to Khalistani elements. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has visited Sirsa and is expected to return for further investigation.