Amritsar temple blast suspect shot dead in firefight with Punjab Police

A suspect in the blast incident outside a temple in Amritsar was killed in an exchange of fire with police, a top officer said on Monday.

Another suspect managed to flee, he said, adding that efforts were on to nab him.

A blast had occurred outside the Thakur Dwara Temple on March 15 when a person hurled an explosive device towards it, damaging a portion of its wall and shattering window panes.

Punjab Police Chief Gaurav Yadav said acting on specific intelligence, Amritsar police tracked down those responsible for the attack on the temple.

"Police teams tracked the suspects in Rajasansi. The accused opened fire, injuring HC Gurpreet Singh and striking Insp. Amolak Singh's turban," said Director General of Police Yadav in a post on X. 

 

"Acting in self-defence, the police party fired back, injuring the accused. He was taken to Civil Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The other accused fled, and efforts are on to arrest him," said Yadav.

CCTV camera footage of the incident showed two unidentified persons coming to the temple on a motorcycle. After waiting for a few seconds, one of them was seen throwing the explosive device towards the temple and the two later fled from the site.

Punjab Police had then said it suspects the role of Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the attack on the temple.

While no one was hurt in the incident, the explosion caused panic among residents in the Khandwala area of Amritsar.