Ludhiana blast: Dead man was Punjab cop, say sources

The man killed in the Ludhiana district court blast is learnt to have been identified as Gagandeep Singh, a Punjab Police head constable who was dismissed from service.

Singh was a resident of Khanna in Ludhiana and was dismissed from the post of head constable in connection with a drugs-related case in 2019, police sources said.

Police had earlier said they suspect that the man killed in the blast on the second-floor toilet of the court complex was trying to assemble or plant the explosive device.

Singh's family in Khanna is also learnt to have identified him, the sources said.

The SIM card of the deceased is believed to have helped identify him.

The explosion took place in the court complex on Thursday, killing Singh and injuring six others, prompting the Punjab government to declare a high alert in the state.

Earlier in the day, Ludhiana Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said they have got important clues during investigation, which would prove to be useful in cracking the case.

Police had earlier said a preliminary probe had revealed that the deceased was probably the carrier of the explosive or a human bomb himself. He had a "religious" tattoo on his arms. A mobile phone has also been recovered from the debris, police had said.

Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju visited the Ludhiana district court on Friday and said the Centre and the state will work together to ensure strong action against the domestic and foreign elements trying to disturb the peace and harmony in Punjab as well as in the country.

He said central and state agencies are already conducting an in-depth probe into the incident.

Teams of multiple agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), have arrived at the blast site and are working jointly.

Talking to reporters, Rijiju said he had spoken to Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and it was decided that central and state agencies will jointly probe the matter and strong action will be taken against those behind the dastardly act.

He said the main purpose of his visit was to assure the people of Ludhiana and entire Punjab that by launching a coordinated effort with the state government, the incident will be thoroughly probed.

The Union minister also conveyed the empathy and support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the victims of the explosion and the people of Punjab.

"The Centre and the state will work together and take strong action against those elements within the country and outside who are trying to spoil the peace and harmony of Punjab and the country," he said.

This is a serious incident, a sensitive issue and the Centre and the state government will work on it in a coordinated manner, Rijiju added.

Asked if it was a terror crime, Bhullar said, "The investigation is on and it is too early to say anything."

The body of the deceased was sent to the civil hospital late Thursday night for post-mortem.

Rijiju said the Centre and the state should have one voice on such sensitive issues.

Replying to a question on some political leaders in Punjab speaking in different voices on the incident, he said, "It is unfortunate. We are responsible persons, we should speak responsibly."

Politics on the issue should be the last resort, he added.

Rijiju said the safety and security of the judiciary and judicial complexes is the Centre's top priority.

He said multiple review committees are already in place and he would also speak with the Chief Justice of India about it.

Rijiju was accompanied by Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash and National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairperson Vijay Sampla. They also visited the district hospital and met those injured in the blast.

Rijiju also held an interaction with the district and sessions judge and lawyers.

Senior advocate and former president of the district bar association K R Sikri expressed dissatisfaction with the existing security arrangements in the court complex.

Complete security should be provided so that such a ghastly incident does not take place again, he said.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said his government has sought the Centre's support to crack the case.

He said he spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah hours after the explosion and that the Centre has sent teams to Punjab to investigate the case.

Channi had expressed his apprehension on Thursday that the explosion might have been an attempt to create "anarchy" in the state, which goes to polls early next year.