One dead in Ludhiana court blast
Nikhil Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, December 23
A high-intensity explosion in the district court complex here today left one person dead and six injured.
CJI expresses shock, calls such attacks ‘worrisome trend’
Read also:
The Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a detailed report from the state on the blast. In a communication to the Punjab Government, the MHA asked the state to send the report as early as possible, giving details of the initial investigation. That blast took place at 12.22 pm in the washroom of the second floor of the complex when the court was functioning.
Big conspiracy
As Assembly polls are drawing near, some anti-national and anti-Punjab forces are trying to spread anarchy in state. — Charanjit Channi, CM
Easy access
Old court complex has 12 entry points from where anyone can walk in without security check.
2017 repeat?
There was a blast at Maur Mandi days before the Punjab elections in 2017. Seven persons were killed.
The incident occurred a few hours before the rally of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was scheduled at Mullanpur Dakha, 22 km from the city. The explosion was so powerful that the walls and the roof of the washroom collapsed and several windowpanes of the six-storeyed court building shattered. The record room adjoining the bathroom was also damaged while the staff working there had a miraculous escape.
The explosion spread panic in the court complex where hundreds of people were present. The police evacuated and sealed the court complex as well as the nearby mini secretariat and Police Commissioner’s office. Besides Police Commissioner Gurpreet Bhullar, the anti-sabotage and forensic teams arrived at the spot. Later, NIA and NSG teams reached the spot to examine the site.
ADGP (Intelligence) AS Rai said the deceased was yet to be identified. Terming the incident a major security lapse, he hinted at action against the persons looking after the security of the court complex. Asked if the deceased was carrying explosives or was a suicide bomber, Rai said the police were probing all angles. The injured have been identified as Sandeep Kaur (31), Gurpreet Kaur (35), Shranjit Kaur (25), Manish Kumar (32), Kuldeep Singh Mand (50) and Krishan Khanna (75), all from Ludhiana.
Manish is a constable posted as naib court in the court complex, Kuldeep is an advocate and Sandeep Kaur runs a photostat counter in the complex. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was briefed about the blast later in the day, officials said.
