Major blast outside Badshah’s nightclub in Chandigarh, glass window shatters; no casualty

A low-intensity explosion with a crude bomb took place outside a nightclub in Chandigarh's Sector 26 that was near the Sevillee bar and lounge owned by renowned rapper Badshah, police said.

However, no one was injured in the blast. Initial investigations suspect the extortion angle behind the blasts by spreading terror among owners of nightclubs. According to reports, two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle threw the bomb at around 3 a.m. The nightclubs were closed at the time of the blasts.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Dilbag Dhaliwal told the media that the control room got information that there was some personal problem. “Our Investigating officer saw broken glass here (at the spot). At the present moment, we cannot say anything. The forensic team has arrived. We have just lodged an FIR and just started an investigation.”

The impact of the blast shattered the glass windows of the club. The police said the explosion took place outside De'orra, which is near the Sevillee bar and lounge. Both the restaurants are 30 metres away from each other. The crime spot is known for high-end nightclubs. Teams from the bomb detection squad and the Chandigarh Forensic Science Laboratory also arrived at the scene to collect samples.

Police suspected the bombs were made by using potash that is used in firecrackers. Thin jute ropes were also recovered from the spot. In September, the residence of a retired police officer in the posh area of Chandigarh, Sector 10, saw a low-intensity explosion. The grenade attack took place at around 5.30 pm on September 11 and due to the impact of the blast, windows and flower pots were damaged. Punjab Police had arrested two accused in a joint operation with central agencies. They claimed that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and US-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia masterminded the operation.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav then said one of the two arrested men was Rohan Masih, a resident of Passia village in Amritsar. In a statement, the DGP said police recovered a sophisticated 9 mm Glock pistol along with ammunition from his possession.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI/IANS/PTI/Reuters)