Two persons and a minor girl were killed while 15 others injured in an explosion in a car at the site of an election meeting Tuesday in Bathinda district of Punjab. Police said a pressure cooker had been recovered from the site which had been cordoned off by BSF personnel. There is a confusion on what really triggered the blast. An initial report claimed an LPG cylinder had exploded but police later said a pressure cooker had been found at the site.
The incident took place at Maur Mandi after 8.30 pm as soon as the Congress Maur candidate Harminder Singh Jassi wrapped up his campaign speech. Bathinda SSP Swapan Sharma said those killed were “passersby” and their identities were still to be established. Sharma said the explosion took place in a Maruti 800 car.
Punjab DGP Suresh Arora said police will probe if the blast was an act of terror. “Forensic and ballistic experts are reaching the spot tomorrow morning. As per preliminary investigations by local police, we cannot rule out the terror angle,” Arora said.
Maur Mandi SDM Latif Ahmed said:
“Three persons have died in the blast and a pressure cooker has been recovered. We are not sure what caused the blast. The car in which the blast occurred has been damaged completely.”
Congress candidate Jassi, his nephew Vikram said, was
“too shocked and not in a position to speak”
