In the wee hours of Thursday, a low-intensity explosion was reported near Sri Guru Ram Dass Niwas, in the vicinity of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, according to the Punjab Police. Five suspects were arrested in connection with the incident.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav informed the media that the accused were identified as Azadvir Singh, Amreek Singh, Sahib Singh, Harjeet Singh, and Dharmendra Singh. Three of them were involved in the sourcing of the explosives, while the other two were responsible for supplying them. The police recovered 1.1 kg of low-intensity explosives from them. An SIT will be formed by the Commissioner of Police to further investigate the incident.
This is the third such incident in Amritsar in the past week. On May 8, a person was injured in a blast at Heritage Street near the Golden Temple, while another explosion took place at the same site on May 6. The Punjab Police has taken the help of all agencies to probe the incidents that took place within 30 hours, including the National Security Guard.
President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Harjinder Singh Dhami called the incident a “failure of the Punjab government” and urged the police to conduct a thorough probe into the matter.
The previous two blasts are also being investigated, with a National Investigation Agency team visiting and inspecting the site of the second blast on Monday. The police have not found any trigger device or detonator from the area that may have been used.
DGP Yadav mentioned that they were checking from all angles, including the possibility of mischief, a terror angle, or any personal motive. He also stated that the explosive appeared to have been kept in a container, and no shrapnel was used.
The SGPC President, accompanied by the police, visited the site where the explosion occurred. The Punjab Police personnel and forensic team members also rushed to the location after the blast was reported.
The incidents have raised concerns regarding security and safety in the area, and it remains to be seen what steps will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.