Cops probe Khalistan link to Chandigarh blast after FB post

A day after explosives thrown by two men caused a blast at a house in Sector 10, Chandigarh, a Facebook post claiming responsibility for the attack has surfaced. It is claimed to be written by US-based terrorist Harpreet Singh, also known as Happy Passian.

Since Passian is known to be an associate of Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, the police are looking at the possibility of a Khalistan link to the incident. They are trying to verify the authenticity of the Facebook message, which was posted in Punjabi.

After the post surfaced, the police carried out raids at his village, Pashia, in Ajnala subdivision, and in Dera Baba Nanak.

Scrutinising the CCTV footage from the crime scene, the police identified Rohan Masih as one of the two suspects. When the police raided his house, it was found locked, with no one present there. Police sources said Rohan has a history of being involved in petty crime and police cases were registered against him. The sources added that Passian has hired persons from Ajnala or Ramdas area to commit crime in the past.

“Rohan resembles one of the two suspects who were caught on CCTV cameras at the crime scene,” said Amritsar (Rural) SSP Charanjit Singh, confirming that a raid was carried out in Pashia village.

According to a senior police official in Chandigarh, the two suspects had intended to attack retired Punjab Police AIG Jaskirat Singh Chahal, who lived in the targetted house in the past. The police believe the attack was an act of revenge for the 1986 killing of four youths in police firing in Nakodar. The four men, members of the All India Sikh Students Federation, were protesting against the sacrilege of five “saroops” of Guru Granth Sahib when Chahal was posted in Nakodar as an SHO.

Chahal had moved out of the house after a plot to assassinate him was foiled in 2023. The incident had led to the arrest of the members of a terror module linked to Rinda.