Amritsar temple blast: One suspect shot dead in police encounter, another on the run

Chandigarh: A suspect in the blast incident outside a temple in Amritsar was killed in an exchange of fire with police, a top officer said on Monday.

Another suspect managed to flee, he said, adding that efforts were on to nab him.

A blast had occurred outside the Thakur Dwara Temple on March 15 when a person hurled an explosive device towards it, damaging a portion of its wall and shattering window panes.

Police said the suspect, who was killed in the incident, was identified as Gursidak Singh, a resident of Bal village, while the other one was Vishal, a resident of Rajasansi.

Sharing details, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the suspects, who were on a motorcycle, were asked to stop by a police team but they opened fire at the personnel.

Head constable Gurpreet Singh suffered a bullet injury in his left arm while one bullet hit the turban of Inspector Amolak Singh, said Bhullar. He said the accused fired five rounds at the police team which retaliated in self-defence.

Gursidak Singh was injured and later he succumbed to injuries while Vishal managed to flee, Bhullar said, adding efforts were underway to arrest him.

Gursidak Singh was involved in two cases of snatching at gunpoint and had been recently released from jail. Vishal faces an attempt to murder case.

Earlier, Punjab Police Chief Gaurav Yadav said acting on specific intelligence, Amritsar police tracked down those responsible for the attack on the temple.

"Police teams tracked the suspects in Rajasansi. The accused opened fire, injuring HC Gurpreet Singh and striking Insp. Amolak Singh's turban," said Yadav, the Director General of Punjab Police, in a post on X.

"Acting in self-defence, the police party fired back, injuring the accused. He was taken to Civil Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The other accused fled, and efforts are on to arrest him," said Yadav.

CCTV camera footage of the incident showed two unidentified people coming to the temple on a motorcycle. After waiting for a few seconds, one of them was seen throwing the explosive device towards the temple and the two later fled from the site.

Punjab Police has said that it suspects the role of Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the attack.

While no one was hurt in the incident, the explosion caused panic among residents in the Khandwala area of Amritsar.