Chandigarh, April 3
Two suspects involved in the blast outside the Punjab BJP headquarters in Chandigarh have been identified, a senior police official said on Friday, adding that efforts are underway to apprehend them.
The explosion took place around 5 pm on Wednesday near the party office in Sector 37, when a suspected crude explosive device was hurled at the site. No casualties were reported in the incident.
Police have registered an FIR under relevant provisions of the Explosives Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Following the blast, the area was cordoned off and security tightened, while a team from the National Investigation Agency visited the scene to carry out an inspection.
An unverified video circulating on social media purportedly shows one individual pulling the pin from a blue-coloured grenade and throwing it, while another records the act. The two are then seen fleeing moments before the explosion. However, their faces are not visible in the brief clip, and its authenticity is yet to be confirmed. CCTV footage has also captured suspects running across the road after the blast.
In a separate unverified social media post attributed to Sukhjinder Singh Babbar, the banned outfit Babbar Khalsa International claimed responsibility for the incident.
Earlier, Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwardeep Kaur had said that prima facie, the device appeared to be a small crude explosive.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar termed the incident an “attack” on the party office, while Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the blast, calling it a matter of grave concern.
Police said further investigations into the case are ongoing.
