NIA To Probe Khalistan Outfit's Role In Attack On BJP Office
The agency took over the investigation following directions from the Union home ministry.
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to investigate the alleged involvement of the Khalistan Liberation Army in a petrol bomb attack on the BJP office in Punjab's Sangrur district in July this year.
The agency took over the investigation following directions from the Union home ministry.
The attack took place on July 26 at the BJP office on Upli Road in Sangrur. A petrol bomb was allegedly thrown at the premises with the intention of causing extensive damage by fire. No injuries were reported.
Punjab Police initially registered an FIR and subsequently arrested two accused, Happy Singh and Jaspreet Singh.
According to the NIA's FIR, the investigation revealed that the accused had allegedly been recruited through social media by a handler based in a neighbouring country.
The agency said the attack was carried out as part of a conspiracy allegedly hatched by the Khalistan Liberation Army.
Punjab Police investigations also indicated that the accused had been paid ₹2,200 to throw the crude bomb and record the incident on video.
The Union home ministry said the incident involved a targeted attack intended to endanger life and property and create panic among the public.
It said the gravity of the offence, its national and international ramifications and the need to uncover the larger conspiracy warranted an investigation by the central anti-terror agency.
The NIA has named Happy Singh, Jaspreet Singh and unidentified others as accused in the FIR.
The agency will investigate the alleged involvement of the proscribed outfit, its suspected foreign-based handlers and the circumstances surrounding the attack.