Main conspirator in 2021 Ludhiana court bomb blast arrested from Delhi airport
New Delhi (PTI): A most wanted terrorist and the main conspirator behind the Ludhiana court bomb blast was arrested from Indira Gandhi International Airport here, an official of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Friday.
Harpreet Singh alias "Happy Malaysia", a resident of Amritsar in Punjab who was carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh, was arrested by the sleuths shortly after he arrived at the airport from Kuala Lumpur, the NIA spokesperson said.
He was arrested in a case relating to the massive bomb blast in the Ludhiana Court Building in December last year, which left one person dead and six others injured.
The case was initially registered on December 23, 2021, at Police Station Division-5, district Ludhiana Commissionerate, Punjab and re-registered by the NIA on January 13.
"Investigations revealed that Singh, an associate of Pakistan-based self-styled Chief of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) Lakhbir Singh Rode, was one of the conspirators of the Ludhiana Court Building blast, along with Rode," the spokesperson said.
"Acting on the directions of Rode, he coordinated the delivery of the custom-made Improvised Explosive Device (IED), which had been sent from Pakistan to his India-based associates, that was used in the Ludhiana Court Complex blast," the spokesperson added.
The NIA said the arrested accused was also involved and wanted in various cases, including smuggling of explosives, arms and narcotics.
Earlier, the NIA had declared a reward of Rs 10 lakhs on Singh against whom a Non-Bailable Warrant from the Special NIA court had been issued and Look Out Circular (LOC) was opened.
Further investigations in the case are in progress, the spokesperson said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
