Amritsar attack: Preacher leading congregation among 3 killed

Main preacher Sukhdev Kumar was among the three persons killed in a grenade attack on a religious congregation in Amritsar on Sunday, an incident which the police are treating as a ‘terrorist act’.

According to police, the grenade was hurled towards the stage where Kumar was holding the congregation.

Although the people who attended the congregation said the preacher may have been the target of the assailants as the grenade was thrown near the dais where he was addressing the gathering, police dismissed the suggestion.

Inspector General of Police, S S Parmar said it looked unlikely that the preacher in particular was the target.

He said the force will soon come out with more facts as various investigating teams were working on the case.

It is, however, learnt that the police have deployed tight security around the house of Kumar, a resident of Meerakot village, just two kilometres away from the incident site.

The other deceased were Sandeep Singh, a resident of village Rajasansi, and Kuldeep Singh.

Nine women and a six-year-old child were among the injured, they said.

A first information report was registered based on the statement of Nirnakari sect volunteer Gagan, who was on duty at the main door of the premises.

The Sant Nirankari Mission is a spiritual organisation and the Bhavan here is located close to the international airport and Indo-Pak border.

The grenade was lobbed by one of the two people who had their faces covered. One person pointed a gun at the volunteers manning the gate, while the other one hurled the bomb after which they escaped, police and eyewitnesses said.

Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora, who along with senior officers rushed to the spot, said police was treating it as a ‘terrorist act’.