Ludhiana court blast: Home Secretary holds high-level internal security meet at MHA

In a major development, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Friday held another high-level internal security meet at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to discuss the Ludhiana court blast incident. IB Director Arvind Kumar, CRPF and NIA Chief Kuldiep Singh and BSF DG Pankaj Singh attended the meeting along with other officials of NIA and MHA. 

This happens a day after the Home Secretary briefed the Punjab government and gave clear and strict orders to find the culprits within 72 hours. The MHA asserted that all mechanisms will be at the disposal of the Punjab government to nab the culprits. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also took cognizance of the incident and gave 72 hours deadline to find the perpetrators. 

Meanwhile, Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju is currently in Ludhiana in the backdrop of the blast in District court and said that 'matter being taken seriously.'

Ludhiana court blast

A bomb went off in the District Court Complex here in Ludhiana on Thursday, killing one person and injuring six others, prompting the Punjab government to declare a high alert in the state. As per the investigation so far, Police have suspected that the man killed in the blast in the second-floor toilet was trying to assemble or plant the explosive device. As forensic teams and specialised agencies were being summoned to the blast site, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi expressed apprehension that the explosion might have been an attempt to create “anarchy” in the poll-bound state.

Intelligence sources have informed that the blast might have been carried out by Pakistan backed international terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa. According to the intel report, the explosion was executed by the chief of Babbar Khalsa, Badwa Singh with the support of a local gangster named Harvinder Singh Rindha with the aim of creating instability in Punjab. On this input, the intel agencies have already issued advisories and inputs to the local police and administration. 

Image: PTI