Chandigarh: Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Siddharth Chattopadhyaya on Saturday said the man, who was killed in the blast at a court in Ludhiana, was carrying the explosives.
He added that the bomber identified as former cop Gagandeep Singh was dismissed from service in 2019 and spent two years in jail following his arrest in a drug-trafficking case.
“The deceased person former policeman Gagandeep Singh was carrying the explosion. He was dismissed from service in 2019 and spent two years in jail following his arrest in a drug-trafficking case,” he said, ANI reported.
Earlier on Thursday, one person died and five others sustained injuries in a blast inside the Ludhiana district court complex.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday ordered a high-level probe into the blast, which took place inside the public washroom on the second floor when the district court was functioning.
Asserting that no one shall be allowed to disturb the peace of Punjab, Channi also announced free treatment for all the five people injured in the blast.
Ludhiana Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar earlier on Thursday said the blast occurred at 12:22 p.m.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that the person, who died in the blast was the handler/criminal. Forensic experts, bomb experts looking into the matter,” he told ANI.
The explosion damaged the walls and the roof of the toilet, and shattered windows across the structure.
Several cars parked within the court complex too were damaged in the blast, which occurred on a day when advocates were on strike and the footfall was relatively low.