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Punjab: Bathinda house sanitised 10 days after blasts: Police
Bathinda police declared a blast site safe after a thorough inspection. The suspect, Gurpreet Singh, planned a suicide attack but mishandled explosives.
The Bathinda police on Saturday declared the house at Jeeda village sanitised, 10 days after it was rocked by two high-intensity blasts on September 10.
The operation to remove explosive residues concluded following a two-day audit by the 220-counter explosive device unit of the Indian Army, which confirmed the premises were free from any hazardous material.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amneet Kondal said the exercise to remove chemicals from the site was completed. “Our teams are working to unfold all aspects related to the sourcing of the explosives by the accused Gurpreet Singh and his failed attempt to assemble a bomb,” the SSP said.
According to police, a Rajasthan-based chemical manufacturer is under watch, from where Gurpreet reportedly procured certain explosives online. “Investigations into this aspect will also be made in due course. I cannot make any comment as the probe is ongoing,” the SSP added.
According to police, Gurpreet Singh, a 19-year-old law student, was indoctrinated by Islamic radicals and planned to carry out a fidayeen attack on an unspecified installation. Officials say that he has a history of psychiatric treatment at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
“Preliminary investigations suggest Gurpreet learnt bomb-making through digital content and sourced multiple explosive chemicals. He had booked online bus tickets to travel from Bathinda to Kathua on September 11, indicating a possible intended strike,” police said.
“During the operation, police recovered a multi-pocket vest from the blast site. Gurpreet, during questioning, admitted to planning a suicide attack. However, before he could assemble the device, he mishandled the chemicals, triggering an explosion that resulted in the amputation of his right hand,” SSP Kondal had said earlier.
Gurpreet remains in police custody until September 25. Authorities said no other conspirators have been identified so far.
The case has drawn the attention of multiple investigating agencies, including the Punjab Police, National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Indian Army, all of which are probing the matter.
