Explosives for attack on Dera chief came from Nagpur

Karnal, Feb 12 (UNI) Explosive used in the attack on Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh's convoy were procured from Nagpur in Maharashtra, police today said.

This was disclosed during police interrogation by Jaswant Singh alias Jassa of Pipaltha village in Jind district, a conspirator in the attack, who was arrested from Dachar under Nissing thana yesterday, Karnal SSP A S Chawla told mediapersons here.

A police team has been sent to Nagpur to dig out more details regarding the incident after Jassa's disclosures. The police team in Nagpur would try to trace the people and places involved in the procurement of the explosives, Mr Chawla said, adding that the media reports that the explosives were ''RDX'', were incorrect.

''We have never used the word RDX,'' he stressed.

The police have taken Jassa in remand till February 16, along with two other accused named Mohinder Singh and Swaran Singh, who were earlier arrested for triggering the blast on the Dera Chief's convoy on February 2 at Nilokheri.

Jassa had been in constant touch with the duo and had provided the details and movement of the Dera Chief's convoy from Umri near Kurukshetra using his cellphone, Mr Chawla said.

The defending lawyer opposed the further remand of the two in the local court, alleging third-degree torture by police leading to fracture in one leg and one hand of Mohinder, which were in plaster.

The court has ordered the medical examination of all the three accused.

Meanwhile, hunt for Bakhshish Singh, the alleged mastermind of the attack, has so far failed to yield any result as frequent change of SIMS and cellphones by him have made tracking him down more difficult, police sources said.

A dreaded terrorist, Bakshish Singh was connected with Bhindranwale Tiger Force, and on parole in a case in which he had been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Involvement of other terrorists in the blasts could not be ruled out, the police said.

Meanwhile, a hand-written poster in English and Hindi, with bold slogans of 'Khalistan Zindabad' and 'Raj Karega Khalsa' and threatening the Dera Chief with ''dire consequencies'' if he ever dared to pass through the same route again, created some agitation among the Dera followers here.

Tension gripped the area as Dera followers began to throng the place immediately after coming to know of the poster pasted on the wall of Sacha Sauda Naam Charcha Ghar in Gandhi Nagar area on Ladwa Road in Indri Sub-division of the district this morning.

The police, however, immediately reached the spot and took off the poster promptly and managed to diffuse the situation.

UNI XC JN MS BD1737