NEW DELHI, Mar 14: At least five devotees were injured when an unidentified individual, armed with a rod, allegedly assaulted the devotees inside the Golden Temple premises in Amritsar on Friday.
According to the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), the Sikh body managing the temple, the attack occurred near the community kitchen at the Guru Ram Das inn.
Police have apprehended the alleged assailant and an accomplice who reportedly surveyed the location prior to the attack. “The second accused allegedly conducted recce along with the one who attacked devotees,” a police officer said.
One victim, a Sikh youth from Bathinda, sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving treatment at the Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Amritsar. The identities of the accused are yet to be disclosed.
Earlier, Punjab Police said it dismantled a drug trafficking cartel and arrested four smugglers, including a 16-year-old boy, from Amritsar. Police recovered 4.01 kg of heroin and Rs 20,000 cash from their possession.
Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said the accused were in constant contact with Pakistan-based smugglers, who were using the Ferozepur sector to push in drugs across the border and providing precise coordinates for the drops.
(Manas Dasgupta)