Police say role of Satkar Committee under scanner

AMRITSAR :Police said they are also probing the role of Satkar Committee, a radical Sikh outfit, in a grenade blast at a congregation at Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar’s Rajasansi on Sunday that killed 3 people and injured 20 besides looking at the terror angle.

Director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora, who inspected the spot with senior police officers, said, “Our forensic team has left from Chandigarh. A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also arriving on Tuesday.”

He said, “We are taking it as an act of terror because the attack was against a group, and not against an individual.”

A senior police officer, who was at the spot, said, “A tussle between the followers of the Nirankari sect and members of Satkar Committee has been going on for the last few months. We are investigating the role of members of Satkar Committee.”

SP (headquarters) Harpal Singh said, “The followers of the sect wanted to construct another building at Tapiala village of Amritsar with the Satkar Committee opposing the move.”

A case under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 452 (house trespass), 427 (mischief), 341 (wrongful restraint), 34 (acts by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 25, 54 and 59 (A) of the Arms Act and Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act, Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2008, was registered against two unidentified persons at the Rajasansi police station.