• It is the second blast of the week- One on Thursday in Ajmer and 2nd in Ludhiana
• NRI reports, delay in immigration clearance on airport after the blast
• NRI concerns about investment in Punjab

 

Bomb Blast in Ludhiana kills 6, injured 30 people

Ludhiana, Oct. 16, 2007
Col. Surinder Gill

On Oct. 14, Sunday, six people killed and more than 30 people injured when a powerful bomb explosion took place, around 8.30- 8.40pm in a packed Shingar Cinema, in Ludhiana. The bomb was placed between seats and these seats were usually occupied by migrant laborers.

Deputy Inspector General of Ludhiana, Ishwar Singh told media that a bomb had caused the “single” blast.The police suspects it is either a time bomb or a remote controlled blast.

Delhi Forensic experts, National Security Guards and Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh, collected samples from the site. No terrorist organization has so far claimed responsibility for the blast. Still there is no clue about the terrorist and the kind of explosives used.

Now experts are collecting "electronic data” and screening hundreds of telephone calls made to Pakistan and foreign countries from Ludhiana and other cities of Punjab. One expert says this is best way to find the culprits

Govt. official's reaction:

• The Home Ministry in New Delhi said it was still "too early" to draw any conclusions, but added the blast "appeared to be a terrorist attack."But another home ministry officer said officials were investigating a possible link between Sikh separatists and Islamic rebels.

• Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said, "People of Punjab have no sympathy with terrorists as they would not allow the hard earned peace to go. There is no chances of revival of terrorism."

• Shri Prakash Jaiswal, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs said, he found no connection between the explosion in Ludhiana and the bomb attack in Ajmer on Thursday.

• Madhukar Gupta, Home Secretary Delhi said, "Police must step up vigil and that shopping malls and theatres must have an "in-house mechanism."

• Sukhbir Badal said it was not an intelligence failure and added “let the investigations be complete, we will not spare the accused”.

The Punjab Police, intelligence agencies and Sources revealed:

• The police had made lists of some migrants from West Bengal and Kashmir, former terrorists and anti-social elements.
• The police has narrowed down on the involvement of the Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami (HuJI)
• The Babbar Khalsa was on the top of the suspects’ list as the recent RDX recoveries in the state were made from alleged terrorists of this organization.
  • National Security Advisory Board member B Raman, says, ‘‘Babbar Khalsa is still active and in the last six months has increased its propaganda drive particularly in the West, from Pakistan, where its leader Wadhwa Singh is based. I would say BKI has the capability, motivation and determination to effect the kind of blast that took place in Ludhiana on Sunday.”
  • Delhi-based security analyst Wilson John says, ‘‘It could very well have been a BKI retaliation to the death sentence to Hawara, but the larger message the blast sent out is that BKI is on its way to reviving terror in Punjab.’’
  • On 07, 2007, Chandigarh court sentenced Jagtar Singh Hawara of the BKI to death and held six others guilty in the Beant Singh assassination case. In the same judgment, one Naseeb Singh, 72, was sentenced for 10 years under the Explosives Act.
  • Ajai Sahni of the Institute of Conflict Management said, there remain a handful of terrorist outfits backed by Pakistan and certain NRI (non-resident Indian) Sikh groups that continue to sell the dream of Khalistan, and BKI is the oldest and most organized pro-Khalistan terrorist group. Could it be that the BKI struck in revenge for the death sentence to Hawara?
  • In Chandigarh, Police officers said there are suspicious movements of 132 NRI Punjabi Sikh militants who are now based in Europe, the USA or Pakistan.
  • K P S Gill, former Punjab Police chief said, at least two groups-the Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Zindabad Force are still active in Ludhiana and have links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence

  NRI Dr. Surinder Paul Singh from New York arrived in New Delhi Airport on Monday after one day of the Ludhiana bomb blast, told NRI press that he was asked so many questions to clear from immigration. Any thing happened in Punjab, NRI sikhs always have the problems on Airports.

  NRI Anil Gupta from Los Angeles said he was planning to invest in Punjab but now I am little worried about two blasts within one week. Punjab had already suffered lot in the past and these bomb explosions will discourage investors.