Amritsar Blast: Punjab Police Arrests Main Accused Avtar Singh
The incident reportedly occurred during a religious ceremony of the Nirankari sect in Rajasansi village, Amritsar.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday, 21 November addressed the media after one person was arrested in connection with the blast at Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar and called it a “pure case of terrorism.” The arrested accused has been identified as Bikramjit Singh. The second accused, Avtar Singh, is still on the run.
Singh blamed Pakistan and the ISI for the attack and said it was only conducted to disrupt peace in Punjab.
Unidentified assailants hurled a grenade at a gathering of Nirankari sect followers in Punjab’s Amritsar on Sunday, 18 November that left three people dead and injured 20.
- Punjab Police detained suspects in raids conducted by various teams of the state police
- Three people died and 20 were injured in a grenade attack at a gathering of Nirankari sect followers in Punjab’s Amritsar on Sunday, 18 November
- Punjab CM Amarinder Singh announced a Rs 5 lakh compensation for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Three People Dead, Ten Injured
Three people have died and ten are reported to be injured in a blast at Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar’s Rajasansi village, according to the Inspector-General (IG) of Border, Surinder Pal Singh Parmar, reports ANI. However, in a conflicting report, PTI has said that the blast took place in Adhiwala village.
Blast Occurred During Nirankari Sect Religious Ceremony
The incident reportedly occurred during a religious ceremony of the Nirankari sect on Sunday, 18 November. According to reports, two men on a motorcycle threw a grenade on the followers of the sect.
'It is an Attempt to Disturb Peace in Punjab': Sunil Jakhar, Punjab Congress Chief
Sunil Jakhar, Punjab Congress chief expressed his condolences and said “It is an attempt to disturb peace in Punjab. I believe all the security agencies should stay alert and coordinate with each other to maintain peace.”
Visuals of Hospital Where Injured Are Being Treated
A grenade was thrown at a gathering of Nirankari sect followers at the Nirankari Bhawan in Punjab’s Amritsar on Sunday, 18 November.
Two People Knocked a Grenade: IG (Border) Surinder Pal Singh Parmar
Commenting on the blast, IG (Border) Surinder Pal Singh Parmar said, “Out of 250 people who were present in the religious congregation, 3 dead & 15-20 injured. As per initial reports, two people had come over here who knocked a grenade here.”
CM Announces Rs 5 Lakh Compensation for Kin of Dead
Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh announces Rs 5 lakh compensation for the kin of the dead and free treatment for the injured.
Strong Action Will be Taken Against Those Responsible: Rajnath Singh
Expressing his condolences for those killed in the blast, Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday, 18 November, called the attacks a “reprehensible act of violence”.
Speaking at a public event, Singh said that he had been appraised of the situation by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and that the strongest course of action would be taken against those responsible for the attack.
Amritsar Grenade Attack a 'Terrorist Attack': Punjab Police
Punjab police are now calling the attack a “terrorist act”, as it was aimed at a group of people and not any individual.
“There is no reason to throw a hand grenade on a group of people, so we will take it as a terrorist act. Till proven otherwise, prima facie we will take it as that,” Punjab Director General of Police, Suresh Arora told PTI.
Number of People Injured in the Blasts Increases to 20: DGP
The number of people who were injured in the blasts that took place on Sunday morning, has increased to twenty, DGP Suresh Arora told ANI.
“Three dead and twenty injured in the blast. We are counting it as a terror act. We will find out other details in the further investigation,” he said.
3 Member Team of NIA to Reach Blast Site
A three-member team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is expected to reach the site where the blast took place, earlier in the day, PTI reported.
Won't Let Forces of Terror Destroy Peace: CM Amarinder Singh
Strongly condemning the grenade attack on a religious congregation in Amritsar that left three persons dead and many injured, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday, 18 November, vowed that he will not let the "forces of terror" destroy the hard-earned peace in the state, PTI reported.
While making an appeal to the people "not to panic and remain calm," the Chief Minister tweeted, "We will not let the forces of terror destroy our hard-earned peace."
DGP Suresh Arora Visits Hospital to Meet Injured
Punjab Director General of Police, Suresh Arora, visited the city’s Ivy Hospital, to meet those injured in the blast, ANI reported.
Perpetrators Will Not be Spared: Arun Jaitley
Condemning the attack in Amritsar, which took place earlier on Sunday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the “perpetrators of this heinous act will not be spared”.
Rahul Gandhi Condemns Attack
"I am very pained by the news about the attack in Amritsar. It cannot be condemned enough. I convey my deep condolences to the families of the deceased," Congress president Rahul Gandhi said in Facebook post in Hindi.
(Source: PTI)
Capt Amarinder Singh to Visit Amritsar Today
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh will reach Amritsar today around 1:30 pm, reported News18.
Suspects Who Threw Grenade in Amritsar Blast Caught on Camera
Suspects in the Amritsar Blast case have been caught on CCTV camera footage accessed. The suspects, holding pistol, were seen on a black Pulsar bike without a number plate, reported News18.
While one of the suspects is seen wearing kurta and has his face covered, another suspect in the footage is seen wearing jeans and shirt. The bike-borne assailants appear to be sikh and were seen spotting turban, News18 reported.
CM Capt Amarinder Singh Announces Reward for Information on Suspects
CM Capt Amarinder Singh has announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for information leading to the arrest of the suspects involved in the blast, reported ANI. Information can be provided at Police helpline - 181.
“The identity of the informers will be kept secret,” Media Advisor to Punjab CM has confirmed.
Additionally, NIA team surveying the blast site from Sunday night has called for an urgent meeting
NIA Reaches Blast Site, Suspects Role of ISI
Role of an ISI module and Khalistani elements has been suspected in the attack, News18 reported quoting police sources.
An NIA team reached the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan on Monday morning, after holding discussions with Punjab DGP and DG Intelligence. The team had visited the blast site late on Sunday night along with their investigators and explosive experts.
Delhi Put on High Alert in the Wake of Blasts
Security has been stepped up security at Nirankari Sarovar in north Delhi’s Burari. The city has been put on high alert, reported The Hindu.
Vigil has been stepped up in the state, especially in the border districts, including Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur.
The attack took place while Punjab was on high alert after an input claiming "a group of six-seven JeM terrorists were in Punjab" and they were "planning to move to Delhi".
The security agencies were also on alert after four people fled with an SUV after threatening its driver at gunpoint near Madhopur in Pathankot district a few days ago.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh Calls High-Level Meeting
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has called for a high-level meeting today over grenade attack in Amritsar.
The Minister met Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Intelligence Bureau Director Rajiv Jain, Research and Analysis Wing chief Anil Kumar Dhasmana and other senior Ministry officials, a day after assuring Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of "strong action" against those responsible for the attack.
HS Phoolka Retracts Comment Blaming Army Chief
AAP leader HS Phoolka has expressed regret over his comments accusing Army chief General Bipin Rawat of orchestrating the attack on the religious congregation in Amritsar.
In the aftermath of the Amritsar grenade attack, Aam Aadmi Party MLA HS Phoolka had claimed on Sunday that the Army Chief may have been behind the attack in order to prove one of his earlier statements, reported The Indian Express.
Quoting Phoolka, the report said "The Army Chief made a statement recently. Maybe he has got it done himself to prove his statement correct. Maur Mandi blasts also took place during elections and these were later found to have been orchestrated by Ram Rahim. These were backed by the Congress but the blame was laid at the door of Khalistanis. Therefore there is no need to jump to any conclusions now before investigating this fully.”
Cong MLA to lodge FIR Against Phoolka
Congress MLA Rajkumar Verka has threatened to lodge an FIR against AAP MLA HS Phoolka for his remarks on Army chief.
“On whose instructions is Phoolka giving such statements? Is Kejriwal going to answer? Is he in agreement with his statement? No one can tolerate such words for the army, we will register an FIR against Phoolka,” Verka told ANI.
"A Dastardly Act": Hardeep Singh Puri
In his tweet on Monday afternoon, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri termed the terror attack “a dastardly act” and the one that needs to be “dealt with”.
Capt Amarinder Singh Reaches Amritsar
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has reached Amritsar and is expected to reach blast site shortly, reported News18.
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh Reaches Blast Site
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh arrived at Nirankari Bhawan to inspect the blast site. Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu is also present. The ministers also visited the hospital to meet the injured.
“Investigation is going on. There are some leads which our police is following up. I am hopeful that we will soon catch the culprits. All those injured are out of danger. This is a clear case of terrorism and we'll deal with it,” he said.
CM Amarinder Singh Announces Compensation
CM Amarinder Singh announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to the kin of those dead and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Punjab Police Detains Hardliners for Questioning
The Punjab Police have detained a few people with links to separatist organisations in connection with Sunday's grenade attack on a prayer meeting of the Nirankari sect in Amritsar, IANS said citing police sources.
The police have not, however, officially confirmed or denied the detentions.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora had earlier said that a "local hand" could be behind the grenade attack.
1 Arrested, Amarinder Singh to Brief Media
One person has been arrested after interrogating hardliners, CNN-News18 reported. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will reportedly brief the media at 4 pm.
"Grenade Made in Pakistan:": CM Amarinder Singh Tells Media
CM Amarinder Singh, while addressing the media, said that one person identified as 26-year-old Bikramjit Singh has been arrested and the search for the other accused, Avtar Singh is on. Blaming Pakistan and ISI for the attack, he said that Punjab is going to be one step ahead of them against any misadventures in Punjab.
“They went to Kashmir, came to Punjab, might go to Rajasthan as well. Their goal is only to disrupt peace in the country,” he said.
“There is no communal angle. It's pure case of terrorism. They were targeted as they were easy targets. We had info in the past about other organisations being targeted but we took precautionary measures & prevented that,” he added.
Singh also said that the grenade was made in a Pakistan-licensed factory and had pellet-like shells inside it.
Son of Operation Blue Star Deserter is the Second Accused - Still Absconding
Punjab police named two suspects - Bikramjit Singh and Avtar Singh for the Amritsar grenade attack.
While Bikramjit Singh was arrested on Wednesday itself, Avtar Singh, according to Indian Express, is the son of Gurdial Singh who reportedly deserted the Army after Operation Blue Star in 1984. According to the Indian Express report, Avtar is a registered medical practitioner.
Announcing Bikramjit’s arrest, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said it was Avtar who lobbed the grenade.
Amritsar Blast Main Accused Avtar Singh Arrested
Punjab police have arrested Avtar Singh, main accused in the Nirankari Bhavan grenade attack. Announcing the arrest of Avtar Singh, Punjab DGP Suresh Arora said the accused had clear links with radicals settled abroad.
DGP Arora said Avtar Singh and another accused, Bikramjit Singh, were in touch with a person named Javed in Pakistan and a radical Sikh Paramjit Singh Baba in Italy.
Police had arrested Bikramjit Singh on Wednesday.
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