New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday declared a cash reward of Rs 15 lakh on the head of Canada-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, a prime accused in connection with the rocket launcher attack on Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali in May last year.
Deepak Ranga, who had shot the rocket, was arrested by the NIA in January last week from UP's Gorakhpur.
Ranga is a close associate of Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Landa and Pakistan based gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda.
The rocket was powerful but it rebounded after hitting the wall and no one suffered injuries nor it could damage the building. However, the incident had sent a panic wave in the state.
The NIA had registered a case suo moto on September 20, 2022 after it emerged that that terrorist outfits and terror elements based abroad were operating in tandem with leaders and members of organised criminal gangs operating in northern States of the country to commit targeted killings and violent criminal acts. It had also emerged that the terror-gangster-drug smuggler network was also engaged in smuggling terrorist hardware, such as arms, ammunition explosives, IEDs etc across border.
Doctors said that the man's life could have been saved had he been brought to the hospital in time. The victim was the only son of his parents and was looking after the family business after the death of his father. He got married two years ago and his wife is four months pregnant.
Their family and well-wishers in Punjab say they were employed by a private company. They were sacked from their jobs, but their passports were not returned and were unable to return to India. Social activist Dilbagh Singh has written to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, seeking their early extradition.
While campaigning in favour of AAP candidate Satinder Singh for by poll in Adampur in Haryana, the Chief Minister said the people of Punjab are trusting them, and AAP will never let this trust be broken at any cost. He said now it is Haryana's turn and the beginning of this change in Haryana will begin from the Adampur constituency.
The Indian embassy further advised citizens to contact it for any assistance needed for crossing the border. It also advised the citizens to contact Indian embassies in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia as per their exit plans.
According to data shared by Delhi Police, from October 1 to 24, a total of 17,357.134 kg firecrackers were seized which were kept for storage or sale and a total of 150 firecrackers sales were registered.
The Chief Minister extended warm greetings to the people, especially the Sikhs, on the historic Bandi Chhor Diwas, to mark the release from prison of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, and 52 other princes with him, in 1619.