Sector-10 grenade blast: Suspect was in touch with gangster Passia for 2 months, reveals probe
Main accused Rohan Masih, 19, a resident of Passia village in Amritsar, connected with US-based Khalistani gangster Happy Passia through Instagram, seeking work as he was in need of money, as per police
Chandigarh Police’s probe into the grenade attack at a house in Sector 10 has revealed that the main accused, Rohan Masih, had been in contact with US-based Khalistani gangster Happy Passia for two months prior to the incident.
Rohan, 19, a resident of Passia village in Amritsar, connected with Passia through Instagram, seeking work as he was in need of money. Their communication remained limited to Instagram, and it was through this platform that Passia, who operates a terror module backed by Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh, alias Rinda, assigned Rohan the task of targeting the residence of retired SP Jaskirat Singh Chahal.
Police sources revealed that Rohan had already been on the radar of Punjab Police for his association with Passia.
However, unknown to the attackers, Chahal had vacated the house months before the attack.
The attack was planned for September 11, with Passia delivering the final instructions to Rohan on September 5. On September 9, Rohan, along with his accomplice Vishal Masih, travelled by bus to Chandigarh to conduct a recce of the targeted house in Sector 10.
During interrogation, Rohan revealed that he had called Vishal Masih from Himachal Pradesh, where Vishal was employed, to assist with the attack. The duo had previously worked together in Jammu and Kashmir, earning a monthly wage of ₹12,000.
As per Passia’s instructions, they were to hurl a grenade at Chahal’s residence. Chahal, who had served as the station house officer (SHO) in Nakodar during the controversial police firing of 1986, was likely targeted due to lingering grievances related to that incident. Four Sikh protesters were killed in the firing, which led to widespread unrest, and probe suggests this historical grievance influenced the selection of Chahal as a target.
‘Poor quality grenade led to minimal impact’
Investigation also uncovered that the grenade used in the attack was smuggled in from Batala, Gurdaspur. Rohan and Vishal retrieved the weapon, which had been left at a secluded location in a parcel. While the grenade was of Austrian origin, its poor quality—held together with cello tape—prevented it from causing significant damage when thrown at the Sector-10 house. Police suspect that the motive behind the attack may have been to instil fear rather than cause fatalities.
Rohan and Vishal had been promised ₹5 lakh for completing the attack. However, they only received ₹36,000 in advance, which was transferred to them through virtual means. They were instructed not to contact Passia after the attack. Police are now investigating the financial transactions to identify the handlers involved and to track the money trail.
Auto driver met suspects coincidentally
During their investigation, police also questioned an auto driver, Kuldeep, who had met the attackers twice—once on the day of the attack and two days prior as well. However, the initial probe determined that Kuldeep’s involvement was coincidental. He had been spotted by the attackers at the Sector-43 ISBT on September 11, and there was no prior connection between him and the duo. After the attack, the accused got off the auto at the Sector 17/18 light point and boarded another auto to take them to the ISBT. Police have identified the second auto driver as well.