CCTV footage hints at possibility of 3rd suspect involved in attack

Senior officials said that federal probe agencies are coordinating with Jalandhar police to crack the case

- HT Correspondent

JALANDHAR: The local court here on Wednesday sent the two persons arrested in connection with the grenade blast at the residence of BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia to a six-day police remand, police said.

Police produced Ravinder Kumar alias Harry of Garha and Satish Kumar alias Kaka of Bhargo camp, both cousins, in court amid heavy security.

The e-rickshaw owned by Satish, used in the crime, has also been seized.

Police later said it was a conspiracy hatched by Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, including Zeeshan Akhtar, who is also wanted in the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, and Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti to create communal tension in Punjab.

According to police officials privy to the probe, two more suspects have been detained in New Delhi. However, there is no official word in this regard.

When asked, Jalandhar commissioner of police Dhanpreet Kaur Randhawa refused to either confirm or deny the development and said the investigation is still on and the operational details of the probe could not be shared at this stage as it might hamper further investigation.

"The accused arrested on Tuesday have been taken into police remand for six days. They will be grilled further for their contacts with the key conspirators," Randhawa said.

Police have not ruled out the possible links of the accused with Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) mastermind Harwinder Singh alias Rinda and gangster Happy Passia.