Grenade Blast At House In Posh Chandigarh Locality, Auto Driver Who Ferried 2 Suspects Arrested

An explosion was reported from a house in Chandigarh’s Sector 10 area on Wednesday evening and sources said it was a suspected low-intensity grenade attack. There was no casualty, but some windows and pots in the garden were damaged in the incident, police said.

Police sources, who checked the surveillance cameras, revealed that two men, one in a white t-shirt, were seen lurking near the house in the union territory’s upscale Sector 10 area in an autorickshaw. They said the explosion took place moments after the duo was first spotted.

Immediately after the blast, the suspect was seen fleeing the scene in the speeding autorickshaw. The vehicle narrowly escaped collision with a while car while vacating the area.

According to the police, the owner has claimed that two persons in an auto-rickshaw hurled a grenade. An investigation to ascertain the cause of the blast is underway, they said.

On receiving information about the blast around 5.30 pm, Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur and other police officials reached the house to take stock of the situation.

The bomb detection squad, an anti-gangster task force, and a forensic team reached the spot. “There was a loud sound. Some pressure type low-intensity blast took place because of which some windows and pots were damaged,” Kaur said.

The SSP said the complainant told them that two persons came in an auto-rickshaw and hurled a “grenade” at the house. “The complainants were sitting on their porch. They saw the suspects,” the police officer said, adding that efforts were on to trace the vehicle.

Visuals of the explosion and the auto-rickshaw were captured on a CCTV camera installed in the area. The SSP said they are investigating if any personal enmity could be the reason behind the incident.

Asked about the veracity of the claim that a grenade was lobbed at the house, the officer said: “We are investigating it. A blast has happened and we are investigating the cause of it.”

Cops probe ex-tenant angle

Police said there was a connection of the incident with former tenants and they were probing the angle. They said the grenade created a hole of about 7 to 8 inches where it fell.

“The police have quite good leads related to the incident. The grenade is reported to be of low intensity according to the current investigation,” they added.

Auto Driver Arrested

Meanwhile, police have arrested the autorickshaw driver, who ferried the two suspects. They have started quizzing him.

The Chandigarh police, along with various wings of the Punjab police, are working on the case. Additionally, Chandigarh Police have shared several details with the Haryana police, and multiple wings of the Haryana police are also involved in the investigation concerning the suspects.”

Reward Announced

The Chandigarh police have announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for information on the suspects. The police have now officially released photos of the suspects. Anyone providing information about them will be rewarded with Rs 2 lakh. CCTV footage from different checkpoints, roundabouts, and various angles shows them moving in an autorickshaw and on foot in other locations.