AMRITSAR: Five people, including three devotees and two sewadars (attendants) of the Golden Temple, were injured in an attack by a person wielding an iron rod during a gathering at Sri Guru Ramdas Niwas in the Golden Temple to celebrate the New Nanakshahi Year on Friday.
The condition of two of the victims, including one devotee and one sewadar, is reported to be critical.
Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Partap Singh, informed that around 12 pm on Friday, an attacker entered Sri Guru Ramdas Niwas and assaulted the devotees and sewadars with an iron rod.
One devotee each from Mohali, Bathinda, and Patiala, along with two sewadars, were injured in the attack. He further said that they were immediately rushed to the SGPC-run Sri Guru Ramdas Hospital in Vallaha for medical treatment, adding that the condition of one sewadar and a devotee from Bathinda who received head injuries is serious.
The incident occurred as a large number of devotees from across the world gathered to celebrate the new Sikh year, he said.
Partap informed that, with the help of footage from CCTV cameras installed at the Golden Temple, the assailant and one of his accomplices were apprehended and handed over to the police.
“It is now the responsibility of the police to investigate, identify the culprits, and uncover the larger conspiracy behind the incident,” said the SGPC Secretary.
Partap also called for strict action against the perpetrator while apprehending that the attack appears to be part of a larger conspiracy and emphasised the need for a thorough investigation to uncover the full extent of the plot.
Amritsar Police commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar informed that the person who attacked devotees at the Golden Temple had been identified as Julfan, a resident of Shadipur, Yamunanagar, Haryana. Bhullar said that Julfan had left his home three days ago and was found roaming on the second floor of Guru Ramdas Sarai with an iron rod in hand on Friday.
When sewadar Jasbir Singh asked him to come down, Julfan ignored the request. As Jasbir approached him, Julfan attacked him with the iron rod. Other sewadars attempted to subdue him, but Julfan attacked them as well. He was eventually apprehended by the sewadars and the sangat, who beat him in the heat of the moment before handing him over to the police.
A case under sections 118(1) and 115(2) of the BNS Act has been registered at Police Station E Division based on the statement of Jasbir Singh. The Commissioner added that further investigation is underway.