Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav on Friday stated Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh Landa was the mastermind behind the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) assault on Sarhali police station within the border district of Tarn Taran on December 9.

Also learn: Three members of Lakhbir Landa gang held in Jalandhar, 9 weapons seized

Addressing a press convention in Chandigarh, Yadav stated that seven of the accused concerned within the assault have been arrested. Two of them are juveniles.

On Monday, police stated that the RPG was smuggled from Pakistan and recovered by the suspects from a location shared on a cellular app. Yadav, who had visited the location, had additionally stated that it was military-grade {hardware} suspected to have been smuggled from throughout the border. “There is a clear indication that it is a strategy of the neighboring nation to bleed India by a thousand cuts,” the DGP had stated.

This is the second such assault within the state within the final seven months. On May 9, an RPG was fired on the Punjab Police’s intelligence headquarters in Mohali.

According to Punjab Police officers, the 2 children who hurled the RPG are locals and haven’t got a powerful prison background. “They were lured by foreign-based gangsters and pro-Khalistani elements to carry out the attack in exchange for money,” an official stated.

The RPG was fired on the Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran round 11.30pm on December 9. The projectile first struck the iron grills of the gate of the police station after which hit the wall of the Saanjh Kendra.

Security of all police buildings was strengthened after the assault.

The investigation was carried out beneath the supervision of extra director common of police (inner safety) RN Dhoke, whereas ADGP (counter-intelligence) Amit Prasad camped in Amritsar.

In the Mohali RPG assault, the police arrested 12 of the 13 accused. One accused, Deepak from Jhajjar, is absconding.