Punjab: Attacked by rod-wielding man, 5 hurt in Golden Temple ‘sarai’

A man wielding an iron rod went on an indiscriminate rampage in a ‘sarai’ of the Golden Temple, injuring two ‘sewadars’ and three devotees on Friday, police said. He, along with his accomplice, was handed over to the police.

The man was seen moving in the Guru Ramdas Niwas, also called the Guru Ramdas Sarai, of the Golden Temple. According to Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) secretary Partap Singh, the man turned violent when asked about his antecedents and attacked the SGPC employees and others.

The police said the man, who hailed from Haryana, was handed over to them by the SGPC. The reason behind the attack is under investigation. The three injured devotees came from Mohali, Bathinda and Patiala, while the other two were ‘sewadars’ of Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), Partap Singh said.

One ‘sewadar’ and a devotee from Bathinda suffered severe head injuries. The injured were rushed to Sri Guru Ramdas Hospital at Vallah in a critical condition. Partap Singh said the attacker and an accomplice of his were apprehended and handed over to the police.

In his appeal to the government and law enforcement agencies, the SGPC secretary called for no leniency in taking action against the perpetrators.