AMRITSAR: Three people were killed and 20 were injured in a bomb blast inside Nirankari Bhavan at Adliwal village near Rajasansi in Amritsar on Sunday.
According to the sources, two bike-borne masked persons forced their way inside the sermon grounds by brandishing a pistol at a volunteer deputed at the gate of the Bhawan. The hall is just eight kilometres from the Amritsar international airport.
The accused threw a hand grenade at the people attending the religious congregation where close to 250 persons were in attendance and then fled away.
The volunteer identified as Gagan said that one of the assailant went inside with a crowd of followers and the other one pointed a gun at his stomach as he wanted to know what was happening inside. "I told him it was a 'satsang'. He went inside and after which there was an explosion," he said.
The high-impact blast caused a crater, which is 3" in diameter, and is being examined by the forensic team. The team has also found the safety valve of the grenade. "There were no CCTV installed at this Bhawan, but we are analyzing the footages of adjacent buildings and looking for clues to identify the attackers. The bodies of the victims have been sent for post-mortem,'' said a police official.
The injured have been admitted in Guru Nanak Dev Hospital and Ivy Hospital in Amritsar. The condition of four of the injured is said to be in a critical state.
An eye-witness who was the part of the congregation said the attackers also had weapons and entered the Nirankari Dera on gunpoint. Though the youth were chased by people till a distance, they still managed to escape. "The face of attackers was covered. Everything happened in a short span of minutes. They got in, threw the grenade and fled,'' said another eyewitness.
Inspector General of Police (Border Range) Inspector General SPS Parmar said that three people died and at least nineteen people were injured in the blast. He, however, denied any connection of the incident to terrorist Zakir Musa, who was reportedly spotted in the city last week.
"It is too early to compare the attack with the 1978 attack on Nirankaris,'' said Punjab DGP Suresh Arora and he added that is also early to say if it is joint action by Kashmiri and Sikh militants.
"But it is an act of terror and aimed at one particular group in Punjab. There is no reason to throw a hand grenade on a group of people. There was no specific input about any possible attack on Nirankari Bhavan," he further added.
Every Sunday devotees gather at this place for prayers.
The Nirankari Bhawan (Sant Nirankari Mission is a spiritual organization) has been sealed off and only higher officials and the forensics team are present inside the premises. A massive search operation has been launched to nab the suspects, for which a SWAT team has also been deployed.
Following this incident, the security has been stepped up at other Nirankari Bhavans across the state. The attack took place amid a high alert issued by the Punjab Police after six to seven Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists had reportedly entered the state. The state was put on alert after four persons snatched an SUV from its driver at gunpoint near Madhopur in Pathankot district last week.
The Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh while condemning the attack announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and directed the district administration to provide the best possible medical care, free of cost, to the injured.
Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka, who visited the spot after the blast said it was a security and intelligence lapse and blamed both central and state governments for the incident.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted that he spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh who has apprised him of the situation in the wake of grenade attack.
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