NIA team reaches Mohali to inspect area, likely to take over the probe

New Delhi, May 10

After the attack on Punjab Police's intelligence headquarters in Mohali, a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has reached the crime spot and is examining the area.

IANS on Tuesday morning said the NIA is in touch with the Punjab Police and the case is likely to be transferred to the central probe agency.

Kuldeep Singh, NIA Director-General (DG), said a team was examining the site to get clues about the suspects behind the attack.

He added that the Punjab Police was officially investigating the case while NIA being a central agency had come to inspect the area.

The NIA DG said they had not registered any case but were waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Punjab Police have detained two suspects in the matter and were questioning them.

A team of the NIA's terror unit got in touch with the Punjab Police soon after the attack took place.

The NIA believes that Khalistani groups are active in Punjab and have carried out the attack after doing a recee of the area several times.

A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was fired from outside the street which reached the third floor of the building but didn't explode leaving only glass doors and window panes shattered.

It is believed the RPG-22 is likely to have been used in the attack.

On May 6, four Khalistani terrorists were arrested by the Haryana Police.

The preliminary probe has indicated that two car-borne assailants could have been involved in the attack.

A Swift Dzire car was reported to be seen outside the Punjab police intelligence wing before the attack took place.

As the building doesn't have any CCTV cameras, the police is trying to gather CCTV footage of the nearby area. A number of persons living in the neighbourhood have been questioned as well.

The NIA is also gathering information about the incident.

"A terror unit of NIA was in touch with Punjab Police. A few intelligence reports were issued in connection with Punjab that Khalistani outfits are active and the latter are planning to disturb the peace in the area," said a source.