5 held after low-intensity blast rocks Golden Temple in Punjab's Amritsar

The Punjab Police on Thursday arrested five suspects after another low-intensity blast was triggered near Amritsar’s famed Golden Temple.

According to the police, the arrested persons are also allegedly involved in the two similar explosions that rocked the area earlier in the week. However, the motive behind the serial blasts wasn’t elaborated upon.

They said that the explosion was triggered on Wednesday midnight in Galiara, the pathway and park around the Golden Temple, behind the Guru Ramdas Ji Niwas (inn) building.

A senior officer said the cops are investigating a “deep-rooted conspiracy’ and examining possible connections of those arrested, in India and abroad.

Speaking to newsmen, Director-General of Police Gaurav Yadav said a Special Investigations Team (SIT) will be constituted to probe the incidents and its being investigated whether the blasts are the handiwork of a self-radicalized module or if the suspects were taking directions from handlers.

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The arrested men have been identified as Azadvir Singh, Amrik Singh, Sahib Singh, Harjit Singh and Dharminder Singh, the officer said, adding that Azadvir and Amrik were the main perpetrators while Sahib, Harjit and Dharminder sourced and supplied the explosives.

The DGP said that the police is also questioning Amrik Singh’s wife to find out if she had any role to play in carrying out the blasts.

In a third incident of its kind this week, a low-intensity blast was triggered near the Golden Temple late last night.

The blast, third this week, came following a similar explosion that rocked a heritage street near the famed Sikh shrine on May 6 with a second blast taking place less than 30 hours after the first one.

DGP Yadav said the cops have also recovered 1.10 kg of low -intensity explosives, normally used in firecrackers, adding that the first improvised explosive device (IED) was assembled in the bathroom of the inn on May 6 and constituted 200 grams of low-intensity explosives normally used to make firecrackers, in two energy drink cans.

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