The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against five accused, including a Pakistan national, before a special court in the 2021 Ludhiana court complex blast case.

Punjab Police's former Head Constable Gagandeep Singh aka Gagi, who planted a bomb at the court complex on December 23, 2021, was killed and six others injured when it suddenly went off.

Accused Gagi, Surmukh Singh aka Sammu, Dilbag Singh aka Baggo, Rajanpreet Singh, and Pakistani national Zulfikar aka Pahalwan have been charge sheeted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substance Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act on Saturday.

The case was initially registered at Police Station Division-5 in Ludhiana and was later taken over by the NIA.

"During investigation, it has been revealed that Lakhbir Singh Rode, Pakistan-based ISYF/KLF terrorist handler, had planned to execute IED blasts at various locations in Punjab.

"In order to execute the plans, he, 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," the NIA said.

The NIA said that in furtherance of the conspiracy to carry out IED blasts in Punjab, Rode, with cross-border arms-explosives-narcotics smuggler, Zulfikar, Harpreet Singh aka Happy Malaysia, Sammu, Dilbagh Singh, and Rajanpreet Singh, formed a terror gang to carry out blasts and smuggled weapons into India.

Rode used the smuggling channels of Pehalwan and his associates to deliver the IED to Gagi.

(KB/IANS)