New Delhi : A miscreant attacked pilgrims with an iron rod in Amritsar's Swarna Mandir complex on Friday, injuring at least five people. The accused has been arrested and the situation is under control, said police.
The accused attacked the pilgrims and locals who were present near Gururam Das Langar, a communal cooking school of Swarna Mandir. After the incident, there was an atmosphere of anxiety in the place.
Two sevaars of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandha Samiti (STPC) were also among the injured in the attack. The condition of one of the injured is critical and he has been admitted to Sri Guru Ramdas Medical Science and Research Institute Hospital in Amritsar.
After the incident, the assailant and his accomplice were caught by the bystanders and handed over to the police. The police said that the accused had inspected the place before the attack. The main accused then went out and attacked the STP personnel who returned with an iron rod. The police said that he also attacked the devotees who tried to stop him
The accused has been identified as Zulfan and is known to be a resident of Haryana. It is known that he too has injuries.
An investigation is being conducted to find out the motive behind the attack and people have been requested not to panic.
The incident has created concerns about the safety of devotees at the Golden Temple.
In December last year, Shiromani Akali Dal leaders and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal were shot and killed by a man at the entrance of Swarna Mandir last year. The accused, identified as Narayan Singh Chavura, was caught by Badal's bodyguard.