Jalalabad bomb blast accused arrested from Bikaner in Rajasthan

Gurcharan Singh, alias Channa, ,38, a proclaimed offender who was involved in a bomb blast at Jalalabad in Fazilka a year ago, was arrested by security agencies from Bikaner in Rajasthan

A 38-year-old proclaimed offender (PO), Gurcharan Singh, alias Channa, who was involved in a bomb blast at Jalalabad in Fazilka a year ago, was arrested on Friday by security agencies from Bikaner in Rajasthan. He carried a reward of ₹2 lakh on his head.

Jalalabad bomb blast accused Gurcharan is presently in the custody of the Rajasthan Police. He was working as a labourer in a factory at the Khara industrial area of Bikaner for the last three months, a source said. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/Representational image)

“Gurcharan is presently in the custody of the Rajasthan Police while the plea of the Punjab Police to get his custody was denied. The accused was held on Friday after a tip-off from the Punjab Police. He was working as a labourer in a factory at the Khara industrial area of Bikaner for the last three months,” a source said.

“The Bikaner Police registered a case against Gurcharan on Friday under Sections 212 and 216 of the IPC,” an official said. Lovepreet Singh, who gave shelter to Gurcharan, was also booked by the Bikaner police.

As the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the case, the Rajasthan Police will give his custody to the agency,” he said.

The case relates to an explosion that took place on a Bajaj Platina bike near Punjab National Bank, Jalalabad City in Fazilka on September 15, 2021. One of the terrorists was killed in the explosion. The case was originally registered at the local police station, before being taken over by the anti-terror federal probe agency NIA on October 1, 2021.

Investigations revealed the conspiracy to orchestrate multiple explosions at crowded places in Punjab was hatched by Pakistan-based designated terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode, who is the self-styled chief of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), with an aim to cause large-scale casualties and strike terror in the minds of people.