[Ludhiana Court Complex Blast Case] NIA files chargesheet against 5 persons before Special Court in Mohali

The National Investigation Agency on January 7, 2023, filed chargesheet against five accused persons before the NIA Special Court, Mohali in connection with a bomb blast at Court Complex Ludhiana on December 23, 2021.

During the bomb blast at the Ludhiana Court Complex in December 2021, one person was killed and six persons were injured.

The five accused chargesheeted persons are:

1. Gagandeep Singh @ Gagi (dead)
2. Surmukh Singh @ Sammu
3. Dilbag Singh @Baggo
4. Rajanpreet Singh
5. Zulfikar @ Phalwan [Pakistan National]

All the five accused persons have been chargesheeted under Sections s 120B, 113, 307, 326, 436, 109, 302, 301 of IPC, Sections 3, 4, 6 of Explosive Substance Act 1908, Sections 16, 18, 20 of UA(P) Act and Sections 4 Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act 1984.

During the investigation, it was discovered that Lakhbir Singh Rode, a Pak-based ISYF/KLF terrorist handler, had planned to carry out IED blasts in various locations throughout Punjab. Allegedly, to carry out his plans, he recruited India-based operatives to smuggle IEDs and carry out blasts to cause maximum casualties and terror among the general public in collaboration with Pakistan-based smugglers.

“In furtherance of the conspiracy to carry out IED blasts in Punjab, Lakhbir Singh Rode, with the help of Zulfikar @Pehalwan, a Pakistan-based Cross-border ArmsExplosives-Narcotics smuggler, Harpreet Singh@ Happy Malaysia, Surmukh Singh@ Sammu, Dilbagh Singh and Rajanpreet Singh, formed a terror gang to carry out blasts and smuggle weapons into India”, the NIA press release read.

Furthermore, it stated that Lakhbir Singh Rode used the smuggling channels of Pakistan-based smuggler Zulfikar @ Pehalwan and his associates - Surmukh Singh and Harpreet Singh - to deliver the IED to Gagandeep Singh, who planted it in the Ludhiana Court Complex and lost his life in the process.

As per the NIA press release, the case was initially registered on December 23, 2021, at Division-5 police station, Ludhiana Commissionerate, Punjab, and later re-registered by the NIA on January 13, 2022.