Holy city on high alert after seizure of explosives

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 9

Following the alert sounded by the Punjab Police after the seizure of improvised explosive device (IED) and hand grenades packed in a tiffin from a border village, the city police have tightened security arrangements in the city.

• Also read: High alert as ‘tiffin bomb’ found in Amritsar
• Hunt on for co-plotters; combing ops under way

With Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh scheduled to unfurl the National Flag on Independence Day in Amritsar, the police are on their toes. Besides sealing the entry and exit points of the city, the police carried out search operations and flag marches in different areas on Monday.

They also issued instructions while appealing to the people to remain vigilant in order to thwart any untoward incident in view of the upcoming Independence Day celebrations.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Parminder Singh Bhandal carried out a search operation at the railway station here. The anti-sabotage team and sniffer dogs were pressed into service to search the entire railway station. The police officials also interacted with people and checked their bags. He said the patrolling parties and PCR teams were asked to patrol different areas especially near vital installations and tourist and religious places.

“As the festive season has started, there is unusual rush in shopping malls and markets. Therefore, emphasis was also being laid on foot patrol. Vigil is also being maintained on people coming and putting up in hotels, inns, besides PG houses and tenants,” the DCP said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Harjit Singh Dhaliwal along with other police officials carried out the flag march that commenced from Hall Gate area and passed through different roads in Zone Number 1. Similarly, ADCP Sandeep Malik along with the officials conducted a flag march from Novelty Chowk to different areas in the Civil Lines. ADCP Harpal Singh carried out the flag march from Ram Bagh area.

CM to dedicate Jallianwala Bagh memorial park to public on August 14

Amritsar: CM Capt Amarinder Singh will formally dedicate the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Memorial Park, coming up at Ranjit Avenue, in Amritsar, to the public on August 14. This is the second memorial of the 1919 massacre being built on 4,490 square meter land at Anand Park, in addition to the original memorial located 6 km away in the walled city. Prior to CM’s visit scheduled to unfurl the Tricolour to celebrate Independence Day in Amritsar, additional chief secretary, tourism, Sanjay Kumar came here to oversee the preparations and held a meeting with the administrative officials. About the memorial park programme, Sanjay said the kin of martyrs would be specially honoured on the occasion. “This historic site will stand out as a remembrance for the coming generations,” he said. He said no political rally would be conducted on the occasion and officials have been assigned duties. Others present included director, tourism Kamaldeep Kaur Brar; DC Gurpreet Singh Khaira; Police Commissioner Sukhchain Singh Gill, additional commissioners Ruhi Dag and Ranbir Singh Mudhal, additional commissioner (MC) Sandeep Rishi, ADCP Sandeep Malik, SDM Rajesh Sharma, SE Varinder Sharma and XEN Jasbir Singh Sodhi. TNS

Advisory for public

DOs

• Always keep a lookout for suspicious objects
• Scan your surroundings for anything out of place
• Never handle an unclaimed or suspicious object
• Evacuate everyone immediately to a safe distance
• Open all windows and doors
• Keep sandbags handy in all districts
• Place sandbags around the suspected object
• The height of sandbags should be 3 times the height of suspected object
• Remove all valuable and unstable articles — fuel & electronic items from the vicinity
• Inform the police (Dial 112)
• Inform the Fire Department, hospital and ambulance

Don’ts

• Don’t touch, disturb or approach the suspected object
• Don’t try to submerge the suspicious object in water
• Don’t try to open or puncture the suspicious object
• Don’t try to be a dead hero
• Don’t spread rumours

The case

The Amritsar rural police had seized a bag containing double-decker tiffin bomb having IED, hand grenades and RDX, reportedly dropped with the help of drones, from Bachiwind, an international border village. It was dropped on the intervening night of August 7 and August 8. However, the same was recovered on Monday from Daleke-Beharwal village, which is around 2 km from Bachiwind.

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