Amritsar temple attack suspect shot, cop hurt in exchange of fire
A suspect in the Friday night hand grenade attack on the Thakur Dwara temple here was killed and a policeman injured in an exchange of fire at Airport Road here today.
The suspect has been identified as Gursiddak, alias Siddique, a resident of Bal village. His accomplice, Vishal, alias Chui, a resident of Rajasansi, fled the scene.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said they had received intelligence inputs about the movement of two suspects in the Rajasansi area. Police teams from the CIA Staff-1 and Chheharta SHO were immediately dispatched to apprehend them.
During the operation, under the supervision of the DCP (Investigation), ADCP (Investigation), ACP (Detective), and ACP West, the police attempted to stop two bike-borne men in the jurisdiction of the Airport police station.
The suspects abandoned the motorcycle and fled towards the fields, where they opened fire at a police team. A bullet grazed the turban of Inspector Amolak Singh, another hit the left arm of Head Constable Gurpreet Singh and a third hit a police vehicle.
Inspector Vinod Sharma opened fire in self-defence, injuring Gursiddak, while Vishal fled the scene.
The Head Constable and Gursiddak were shifted to the Civil Hospital, where doctors declared the suspect dead. The Head Constable is currently undergoing treatment.
A case has been registered under Sections 109, 121(1), 132, 221, 324(4), 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. Efforts are on to apprehend Vishal. Further investigations are underway to unravel the wider network behind the attack.
On the intervening night of March 14 and 15, two motorcycle-borne suspects had lobbed a hand grenade on the temple in the Khandwala area, triggering panic. No one was injured in the incident.
