Auto driver’s involvement in Sector-10 blast under scanner
Despite intensive questioning, police have yet to establish his direct involvement in the blast case; however, a crucial lead has emerged, as Kuldeep drove the suspects for a recce of the house two days before the attack
Chandigarh Police will take auto driver Kuldeep, who ferried the suspects in the Sector-10 blast case to and from the scene on September 11, to Punjab for further investigation while he remains in police remand.
Despite intensive questioning, police have yet to establish his direct involvement in the blast case. However, a crucial lead has emerged, as Kuldeep drove the suspects for a recce of the house two days before the attack.
Kuldeep’s call records are currently under examination to determine if he had any contact with the suspects and to understand how he ended up transporting them again on the day of the attack. During interrogation, Kuldeep stated that he first met the suspects at the Sector-43 ISBT, where they told him that they wanted to take a round of Sector 10. Two days later, on September 11, the same suspects met him again at the Sector-43 bus stand and asked him to take them to the same location.
According to Kuldeep, as they reached House Number 575 in Sector 10, one of the suspects, Rohan Masih, got off the auto, lobbed a grenade at the house and quickly boarded the vehicle. Initially, Kuldeep believed it was a transformer blast, but later realised it was due to an explosive device. The accused then got off at Sector 17, throwing a ₹500 note at him, before fleeing.
A senior police official said, “So far, the auto driver maintains that he had no involvement in the attack. We plan to cross-examine his statement with that of Rohan Masih, the main accused, and the second suspect, Vishal. Only then can we determine his exact role.”
Police said Kuldeep, hails from Punjab, and stays in makeshift lodging at Sector 17.
Second suspect nabbed from Delhi
Following prime suspect Rohan Masih’s arrest from Amritsar on Friday, on Saturday evening, Punjab Police also arrested Vishal from Delhi.
As per police, Vishal, who originally belongs to Gurdaspur’s Dera Baba Nanak area, was also working as a carpenter in Jammu and Kashmir for the last couple of years, along with Rohan Masih, who hails from Passia village in Amritsar.
According to police, both were allegedly promised ₹5 lakh by Happy Passia, a US-based Khalistani gangster and Passia village native, who operates a terror module on behalf of Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda. The terror outfit is believed to have provided hand grenades and weapons to Rohan through cross-border drone operations.
In connection with the case, Chandigarh Police have also travelled to Madhya Pradesh to locate Rohan’s acquaintances, who may have assisted in the attack.
Following the attack, both Rohan and Vishal had boarded a bus to Amritsar and later went their separate ways — Rohan to Khanna, while Vishal was reportedly planning to flee to Jammu and Kashmir.