Amritsar: Three dead and 21 wounded in a grenade attack on the Nirankari rally

Parents moaning of a victim after two men on motorbikes allegedly threw a grenade at the Nirankari Bhawan during a religious congregation in the village of Adliwal, near Amritsar, in Punjab. (PTI)

THREE PEOPLE were killed and 21 wounded in a grenade attack against a congregation of Nirankari sects in the village of Adliwala, in the suburbs of Amritsar, Sunday afternoon. Police said it was "a terrorist act", but the chief minister of Punjab, Amarinder Singh, said that "the possibility of involvement of terrorist groups backed by ISI / Khalistani / Kashmir could not be excluded ".

In a statement, Singh said that preliminary investigations had revealed that two men who had covered their faces, one with a beard, had been forced into Nirankari Bhavan by brandishing a gun. They arrested the sewadar, threw the grenade into the prayer room and ran off on a motorcycle.

A small crater formed after the explosion and was examined by the police forensic team. The safety valve of the grenade was also found and was under examination, he said.

Read | Sunday's visit to Dera turns into a nightmare for three families

Police said the incident occurred around 12:30 pm. Nirankari Bhavan, located on a narrow road connecting Adliwala to Rajasansi, is just 2 km from Amritsar International Airport. About 200 people, many of them women, were inside at the time of the attack. The police found no CCTV cameras on the scene.

"It's considered a terrorist attack because the target was a religious group and not an individual. At this point, it is difficult to tie him to a terrorist organization, "said police chief executive Suresh Arora. "I inspected the place. A hand grenade was used during the attack. Our forensic teams inspected the place. The National Investigation Agency is also sending its team, "he said.

Members of the deceased's family at Ivy Hospital, Amritsar. (Photo express)

"It is suspected that there is a terrorist attack. We study it from all angles. No arrests have been made so far, "said Amritsar Police Commissioner S. Srivastava.

Read | "There was smoke in the hallway with people screaming for help"

The victims were identified as Sandeep Singh (17) from Rajasansi, Sukhdev Kumar (58) from Meerankot and Kuldeep Singh (40) from Baggankalan. The chief minister announced a compensation of 5 lakhs each to their families.
Mehakdeep Singh, Sandeep's brother and grade IX student, said, "Sandeep was sitting in the front row near the stage. I was sitting at the back. I felt something flying over my head and landing near the stage. Suddenly, there was an explosion and the room was filled with smoke … There was chaos, everyone was going out. Sandeep was unconscious, his leg was touched. We rushed him to the hospital, where he was declared dead.

He added that his family participated in the religious congregation every Sunday. "Our mother, Sandeep, my wife and I came today. We have a small shop in Amritsar … We have been followers of this sect for 15 years, "he said.
"Two young men entered Satsang Bhavan and threw a grenade at people in prayer. There was a breath, "said Paramjit Kaur, an eyewitness.

"I was sitting in my office when the explosion took place," said Onkar Singh (62), head of the Rajasansi branch of the Nirankari sect. His wife and son were injured during the attack. Guru Desa Singh, one of their preachers, was also injured and was hospitalized.

Read | Terrorist groups in Khalistani and Kashmir can not be excluded, says Amarinder Singh

"I have been associated with the Nirankari sect since 1969. I witnessed the clashes between Nirankaris and Sikhs in the 70s and 80s. But even then, our branch was always peaceful … We have no enmity towards anyone", said Onkar Singh.

In his statement, the prime minister warned against attempts to "disrupt the peace and harmony of the state". "Although the state has been hit by a series of targeted attacks since 2015/16, this was the first long-standing attempt to disturb the peace in the state. by indiscriminate killings, "he said.

"This reinforced the belief that Pakistan was continuing its harmful activities to disrupt the peace of the state," he said. "Fifteen of these terrorist modules have been dismantled in the last 18 months. Terrorist links with Kashmir have also been reported, as evidenced by the arrest of Kashmiri students in Jalandhar and the case of grenade attack at the Maqsudan police station, "he said. declared.

The Minister of the Interior of the Union, Rajnath Singh, said that "the strongest possible action" would be undertaken. "I spoke to the Chief Minister of Punjab … who informed me of the situation as a result of the grenade attack in Amritsar. The most energetic measures will be taken against the perpetrators of this crime, "he tweeted.

The police have prosecuted unidentified persons under several articles of the Indian Penal Code, the Weapons Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

The attack took place at a time when the Punjab police was in a high state of alert, following intelligence information provided by the presence of six to seven Jaish members. -e-Mohammed (JeM) in the state. Security agencies were also put on alert after four people seized an SUV under gun threat near Madhopur, Pathankot district a few days ago.
Recently, General Bipin Rawat, chief of the army, had also warned against attempts to revive the insurgency in Punjab, and said that it was necessary to remain vigilant.

For all the latest news from India, download the Indian Express app