Man Arrested for Grenade Attack on Petrol Pump in Punjab's Mansa, Linked to Gangster Arsh Dalla

Chandigarh: A man has been arrested for allegedly hurling a grenade at a petrol pump in Punjab 's Mansa last month on the directions of gangster-turned-terrorist Arsh Dalla, police said on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as Shimla Singh. He was arrested from Mansa, they said.

The grenade was hurled at the petrol pump located on Sirsa Road in Mansa on the intervening night of October 26 and 27. Following the attack, the petrol pump owner received a threatening call from an international mobile number and the caller, who claimed responsibility for the attack, demanded Rs 5 crore from him, according to police.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said Shimla Singh has been arrested for carrying out the grenade attack at the petrol pump on the directions of Dalla.

Singh confessed his involvement in the attack and told police that he obtained the grenade from the Garhshankar area on the instructions of Dalla, the DGP said. According to preliminary investigation, the accused also provided logistical assistance to shooters involved in the murder of Sikh activist Gurpreet Singh Hari Nau, Yadav said.

Assistant Inspector General, Bathinda, Avneet Kaur Sidhu said Singh was arrested from Khokhar road in Mansa while he was going somewhere on foot. Senior Superintendent of Police, Mansa, Bhagirath Singh Meena said a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted to investigate the grenade attack case.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)