NEW DELHI: In a dramatic escalation of events following a grenade attack on a temple in Amritsar, Punjab police gunned down one of the prime suspects in a pre-dawn encounter on Monday, March 17. The deceased, identified as Gursidak Singh, a resident of Bal village in Amritsar, was killed after an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement in the Rajasansi area, while his accomplice, Vishal, managed to evade capture, prompting an extensive manhunt across the region.
The incident traces back to the early hours of March 15, when two motorcycle-borne assailants hurled an explosive deviceโsuspected to be a grenadeโat the Thakurdwara Temple in Amritsarโs Khandwala area. The blast, which occurred around 12:35 AM, caused significant damage to the templeโs exterior wall and shattered window panes, though no casualties were reported.
CCTV footage captured the chilling moment: two masked individuals, one carrying a flag, paused briefly outside the temple before one lobbed the explosive and both fled the scene.
Acting on specific intelligence, Commissionerate Police Amritsar decisively tracked down those responsible for the attack on Thakur Dwara Mandir, #Amritsar, on March 15, 2025. An FIR has been registered at PS Chheharta under the Explosive Substances Act, and intelligence-basedโฆ
โ DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) March 17, 2025
Acting on precise intelligence, the Punjab Police, led by Amritsarโs Commissionerate and the Special Operations Unit (CIA), tracked the suspects to Rajasansi, a locality near the cityโs airport, by Monday morning.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav detailed the operation, stating that a team comprising Chheharta police personnel moved to intercept the duo, who were spotted riding a motorcycle. โWhen SHO Chheharta attempted to stop them, the accused abandoned their vehicle and opened fire on the police,โ Yadav said in a statement. The ensuing shootout saw Head Constable Gurpreet Singh sustain a bullet wound to his left arm, while Inspector Amolak Singh narrowly escaped death as a bullet grazed his turban.
In self-defense, police returned fire, critically injuring Gursidak Singh. He was rushed to Civil Hospital in Amritsar, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after. Vishal, identified as a resident of Rajasansi, slipped away during the chaos, and police have since launched a full-scale search operation to apprehend him. โEfforts are ongoing to nab the second accused,โ DGP Yadav affirmed, emphasizing that the police remain resolute despite the setback.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Bhullar addressed the media later that day, confirming Gursidakโs death and the injuries sustained by officers. โThe accused fired at our team, injuring Head Constable Gurpreet Singh. We acted decisively, and Gursidak, who lobbed the grenade, was neutralized,โ Bhullar said, standing near the encounter site. An FIR has been registered at PS Airport under the Explosive Substances Act, with forensic teams analyzing evidence from both the temple attack and the encounter to determine the explosiveโs nature and the motive behind the assault.
Preliminary investigations have pointed to a possible international dimension, with Punjab Police suspecting the involvement of Pakistanโs Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). โPakistan engages in such mischievous acts from time to time,โ Bhullar noted, adding that authorities are working to verify ISI links and uncover the broader conspiracy.
This theory aligns with a recent pattern of grenade attacks in Punjab, including a similar incident in Jalandhar the previous day, where a Pakistani gangster claimed responsibility for targeting a YouTuberโs residence.
The temple attack and subsequent encounter have intensified scrutiny on Punjabโs security landscape, with political voices weighing in.
The encounter unfolded against the backdrop of heightened tensions in Amritsar, following another violent incident just days earlier. On March 14, an assailant attacked five people with an iron rod at the Golden Templeโs Guru Ram Das Sarai, a lodging facility for pilgrims, raising fresh concerns about devotee safety. That suspect was subdued and arrested, but the back-to-back incidents have left the Sikh community and residents on edge.
As forensic teams comb through evidence and police intensify their hunt for Vishal, the Thakurdwara Temple attack has cast a long shadow over Amritsar. For now, the city braces for answersโwhether this was an isolated act of violence or part of a larger, orchestrated threat lurking across the border. The fallen suspectโs death marks a grim milestone, but with one attacker still at large, the story is far from over.
