 "Ludhiana court blast: NIA chargesheet blames Pakistan-based Sikh Youth Federation terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode for attack")
The NIA said that Rode had planned to execute Improvised Explosive Device blasts at various locations in Punjab including December 23, 2021, Ludhiana court complex blast. Over a year after blasts shook Ludhiana court killing one person and injuring six others, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said in its chargesheet that Pakistan-based International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist handler Lakhbir Singh Rode is the mastermind behind the planned attack. The NIA said that Rode had planned to execute Improvised Explosive Device blasts at various locations in Punjab including December 23, 2021, Ludhiana court complex blast.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet also states that Rode, in association with Pakistan-based smugglers, recruited India-based operatives to smuggle IEDs and to carry out blasts to cause maximum casualties and to strike terror among the general public to execute these plans.
In furtherance of the conspiracy to carry out IED blasts in Punjab, it further said, Rode, with the help of Zulfikar alias Pehalwan, a Pakistan based Cross-border Arms-Explosives-Narcotics smuggler, Harpreet Singh alias Happy Malaysia, Surmukh Singh alias Sammu, Dilbagh Singh and Rajanpreet Singh, formed a terror gang to carry out blasts and smuggle weapons into India.
Rode used the smuggling channels of Pakistan-based smuggler Zulfikar and his associates - Surmukh Singh and Harpreet Singh to deliver the IED to Gagandeep Singh who planted it to cause the blast in Ludhiana Court Complex and lost his life in the process.
The NIA filed the chargesheet against five accused in the Ludhiana court complex blast case on Saturday before a special NIA Court in Punjab's Mohali. Those named in the chargesheet are Gagandeep Singh, Surmukh Singh, Dilbag Singh, Rajanpreet Singh, and Zulfikar.
The accused persons chargesheeted under sections 120-B and 113 r/w 307,326, 436, 109 r/w 302 r/w 301 of Indian Penal Code, Sections 6 r/w 3, 4 Explosive Substance Act 1908, Sections 16, 18, 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Sections 4 Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act 1984.
The case was initially registered on December 23, 2021, at Division -5 Police Station in Ludhiana Commissionerate, Punjab and re-registered by the NIA on January 13 last year.
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