A major development has emerged in the investigation into the blast that took place outside the Border Security Force (BSF) Headquarters in Jalandhar a few days back and Punjab Police has now released 20-year-old Gurpreet Singh after hours of intense questioning in connection with the incident and Gurpreet whose scooter was involved in the explosion spoke to the media after being released and claimed that he himself is a victim in the case.
According to Gurpreet the incident took place on the evening of May 5 when he had gone to the BSF Headquarters in the Guru Nanakpura area to collect a parcel that had reportedly been returned and said that while he was standing near his scooter and talking to his family on the phone a sudden blast occurred in the vehicle.
Gurpreet stated that the explosion was so powerful that he immediately ran towards the BSF Headquarters to save his life and further said that soon after the blast BSF personnel quickly shut the main gate of the complex as security agencies rushed into action and police teams reached the spot shortly after the explosion and Gurpreet adds that he was first questioned by officials at the scene and later provided medical treatment and also claimed that he suffered serious injuries due to the blast and that the hearing in his right ear has been badly affected.
Gurpreet while speaking emotionally before the media said the incident has ruined his reputation and has also cost him his job and appealed to the Punjab Government for compensation and demanded a government job saying he has suffered both physically and financially because of the case.
His family members also spoke to the media after his release and his parents also expressed relief that their son had returned home safely but said they are deeply worried about his health and future and claimed that Gurpreet is currently unable to work because of his injuries and added that he is the only earning member in the family and according to them the family is already struggling under debt and Gurpreet is the only brother to four sisters.
The latest development comes as Punjab Police continues its investigation into the blast which has now officially been confirmed as an explosion involving explosive material and the blast had taken place outside the BSF Headquarters in Jalandhar on the evening of May 5 and initially police believed that the scooter may have caught fire because of a technical fault however after a detailed forensic examination officials confirmed that explosive material was involved in the incident.
Jalandhar Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur had earlier informed the media that police received information around 8 pm that a scooter had caught fire near the BSF Headquarters and following this forensic teams examined the scene and collected samples from the spot and according to the Commissioner the initial findings from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) suggested the presence of explosive substances and the samples have now been sent for further testing to determine the exact type of explosive used and based on these findings police registered an FIR and began treating the matter as a deliberate explosion case.
Police have also confirmed that technical teams are analysing CCTV footage from nearby areas and officials say investigators have identified “three to four strong leads” in the case though specific details have not yet been shared publicly as the investigation is still at an early stage and sources had earlier stated that the explosion happened around 7:55 pm near the main gate of the BSF complex at BSF Chowk and eyewitnesses claimed that an Activa scooter was seen parked near the entrance before it caught fire and exploded while some locals also alleged that an unidentified person had left a packet near the vehicle earlier in the evening though police have not officially confirmed this angle so far.
Security agencies have now increased security across Jalandhar especially at sensitive locations and there are also reports that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) may join the investigation in the coming days meanwhile Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav visited the blast site a day later and reviewed the situation with senior police and Army officials and during his visit the DGP said that such incidents could involve Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and added that the Jalandhar blast may have been triggered through a timer or remote-control mechanism.
The DGP also shared that investigators are also looking at the possible involvement of Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI and also suggested that such incidents could be attempts made to disturb the peace in Punjab and he further also urged people not to believe rumours or unverified claims spreading on social media and currently police are also examining a viral social media post allegedly released by a group calling itself the Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) which had claimed responsibility for attack however officials have not confirmed authenticity of this claim and are treating it only as part of investigation and as of now investigation remains ongoing and police say all possible angles are being carefully examined.
