Chandigarh blast: Khalistan link emerges as US-based gangster claims responsibility

A day after a blast occurred at a house in Sector 10, Chandigarh, police are probing a social media post under the name of US-based Khalistani gangster Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, that claims responsibility for the suspected hand-grenade explosion targeted at a retired superintendent of police, Jaskirat Singh Chahal, to avenge encounters during the decade of militancy in Punjab.
While the Chandigarh Police barricaded all routes leading to house number 575, Sector 10, where the blast occurred on Wednesday night, a Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) team was at the site collecting evidence. It is learnt that former SP Chahal was the suspected target and stayed on rent on the first floor of the house till two years ago. Chandigarh Police had alerted Punjab Police and the SP about a conspiracy to target him after which he shifted out in 2023.
In the Facebook post from the account named after the gangster, Happy Passia claimed responsibility for the blast and hinted that the blast was carried out in retaliation to an encounter in 1986. The police are verifying the authenticity of the post, written in Punjabi.
Hired autorickshaw from ISBT-43
According to the police, the two suspects had escaped in an autorickshaw that they had hired from the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Sector 43. The autorickshaw driver, Kuldeep Singh, was arrested on Wednesday night itself.
During interrogation, Kuldeep said that the two youngsters took the Attawa Chowk to Kisan Bhawan roundabout in Sector 35 before heading for Matka Chowk in Sector 17, going straight down the Sector 9-10 dividing road before entering Sector 10 in the heart of the city. After carrying out the blast, they took the same route back till Sector 17, where they got off.
A senior police official said that Kuldeep’s role in aiding the suspects could not be ruled out, though he claimed that he did not know about their intentions. The suspects are believed to have taken a different route and mode of transportation to flee after the attack from Sector 17.
Link to Rinda gang being investigated
In 2023, the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police arrested four operatives of a terror module backed by Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda, whose involvement was detected in the rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali in May 8, 2022. Though Pakistan Police claimed Rinda died of kidney failure after being hospitalised in Lahore for 15 days in November 2022, the Davinder Bambiha gang claimed responsibility for his killing. Rinda was also wanted in connection with the Ludhiana court blast.
In 2023, the module, operated by US-based gangster Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, had plotted to assassinate retired SP Chahal to avenge the police encounters that led to the elimination of several militants in the 1980s. Happy had allegedly struck a deal with an accused, Vikramjit Singh, offering him ₹15 lakh to carry out the target killing.
Chandigarh Police are working to establish a connection between the two incidents besides verifying the authenticity of the Facebook post by Happy Passia. Police sources said preliminary investigation showed it’s the same group that had plotted to attack the SP in 2023.
₹2 lakh reward for info about suspects
Meanwhile, the police have announced a reward of ₹2 lakh for anyone providing information leading to the arrest of the two suspects. “Information can be given to the police control room number 0172-2749194 or 112 and WhatsApp number 9465121000,” the police said in a statement.
“Security has been deployed to safeguard evidence. The family (residing in the house) is fine. They have no issues with anyone. They are an NRI couple who reside in Australia,” sub inspector Lakhwinder Singh said.
House number 575 belongs to KK Malhotra, aged 100, who had retired as the principal of an institute in Himachal Pradesh. Malhotra and his wife escaped unhurt. They had been sitting in the verandah a few minutes before the incident and had gone inside the house just before the blast occurred.