One killed, 5 injured in blast at Ludhiana court; Centre seeks report
Ludhiana: A blast inside the district court complex here on Thursday left one person dead and five injured, police said.
The blast that took place in the washroom of the second floor of the court complex was so powerful that one of the walls in the complex got damaged and the windows of some vehicles parked on the premises were shattered. The district court was functioning when the blast took place.
Various political parties have alleged that the incident was an attempt to create disturbance ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls in the state while Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has linked this with a case against Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia and said the police would investigate keeping that angle in mind.
The police said: "An explosion was heard from the public toilet on the second floor of the building around 12:15 pm. The police rushed to the spot. The reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained. Preliminary investigation is on. A body was recovered from the spot and we are trying to identify the person, who is also our suspect as well because it seems that the impact of the load of the explosive was suffered by the person."
The Chief Minister drew a parallel between the registration of an FIR against Majithia and the Ludhiana blast as well as the recent sacrilege incidents.
The police have recently registered a case against Majithia under different sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Earlier, the cops claimed that two people died in the blast but later on said one person had died.
Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla dialed senior Punjab government officials over the incident. The Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a report from the state government about the blast.
Condemning the blast, Channi said some anti-national and anti-state forces were trying to commit such disgusting acts ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
Talking to reporters in Chandigarh, Channi said he will visit Ludhiana to take stock of the situation.
As (Assembly) elections are coming near, some anti-national and anti-state forces are trying to commit such disgusting acts and for this the government is alert and the people should also be alert, he said, adding the culprits will not be spared.
He has announced free treatment for all five persons injured in a blast. Besides, he has also ordered a high-level probe to crack the case.
Ludhiana Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the area has been sealed and forensic teams will collect samples from the blast site.
Replying to a question on preliminary investigations, Bhullar said at this point, it is very difficult to say anything and added that the investigation was underway.
Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he was saddened to know about the deaths in the blast.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed shock over the blast while AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said some people want to disturb peace in Punjab.
"First sacrilege, now blast. Some people want to disturb the peace of Punjab. Three crore people of Punjab will not allow their plans to succeed," said Kejriwal in a tweet.
