Punjab: Suspect in blast outside temple killed in gunfight with police

One of the suspects in a blast outside a temple in Punjab’s Amritsar two days earlier was killed in a gunfight with the police on Monday, PTI reported.

A second suspect managed to flee, the news agency quoted Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar as saying. He added that efforts were on to nab him.

On Saturday, two unidentified motorcycle-borne persons hurled an explosive device towards the Thakur Dwara temple in Khandwala around 2 am, which damaged a portion of its wall and shattered window panes. No one was injured in the incident.

The police commissioner on Monday said that one of the suspects was identified as Gursidak Singh, a resident of Bal village while the second suspect was Vishal from Rajasansi. Gursidak Singh was killed in the alleged gunfight.

“We received specific intelligence early this morning that the accused were spotted in the Rajasansi area,” The Tribune quoted Bhullar as saying. “Special police teams, including those from CIA [Crime Investigation Agency] and Chheharta Police, were deployed to nab them.”

He added: “When the Chheharta SHO [station house officer] tried to intercept the suspects, they abandoned their motorcycle and fired at the police.”

Bhullar said that Head Constable Gurpreet Singh was shot in his left arm and another bullet hit the turban of Inspector Amolak Singh.

Five rounds were...

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