Bathinda blast: NSG goes back with samples of mangled remains of car

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Confirming the investigation by NSG, Bathinda SSP Swapan Sharma said, “The NSG team has gone. They came to assist us. However, preliminary investigation is being done by state police. The remaining parts of the car are being sent to the state forensic lab.”

Teams of National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Delhi police had also come to assist Punjab police and all held a joint meeting in the evening along with the NSG team before leaving. Meanwhile, no vital clues have been obtained about the people behind the explosion so far. Police sources said there were CCTV cameras only outside a gas agency, PNB branch and a gun house on the road and footage from all three cameras have been taken. The rest of the shops had no CCTV cameras. So far, police have not been able to get any clue about the driver, who had parked the car near one corner of the road and even the nature of explosive is yet to be ascertained.

Meanwhile, dead bodies of Ripandeep (11), Jap Simar (14) and Saurav Singla (10) were cremated. Campaign by all political parties wound up on Tuesday evening only as no public meeting or poll rally was held after that.

Congress candidate Jasbir Jassi, the main target of this attack according to DGP Suresh Arora, has been given a bulletproof vehicle by police. Jassi, SAD candidate Janmeja Sekhon and AAP candidate Jagdev Singh Kamalo visited the houses of the deceased and also attended their cremation. However, residents of Tarsem Chand Ghumman Wali Gali asked all candidates to ensure Rs 1 crore compensation and a government job for each family after the election.

“Whosoever forms government should fulfil this demand post-election. Today morning, Sanjay Singh, Punjab affairs in-charge of AAP, also came and we asked him to give in writing that his party would fulfil these demands. But, he did not give anything in writing and said they will do the maximum. Similar was the response of the other candidates,” said Gyan Chand Insa, uncle of injured Ankush Insa, who is admitted to DMCH with 60 per cent burns.

AAP national leader and Punjab in-charge, Sanjay Singh, on Thursday met the families of the Maur blast victims. He said the AAP government will form a special team to re-investigate all cases that happened during the Badal government’s tenure. Expressing solidarity with the families of the deceased, Singh said it is a great loss to the families and AAP condemns such cowardly acts. He even demanded formation of a special investigation team to examine the matter and exemplary punishment for the culprits.

Meanwhile, after EC nod, the Bathinda district administration has announced Rs 3 lakh compensation for families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the injured. In addition, treatment of all injured admitted in different hospitals was also declared free. The cost of treatment would be borne by district red cross society, said Bathinda DC Ghanshyam Thori.