Girl among 3 killed in blast at venue of Congress poll rally in Bathinda

Punjab DGP Suresh Arora said police will probe if the blast was an act of terror. “Forensic and ballistic experts are reaching the spot tomorrow morning. As per preliminary investigations by local police, we cannot rule out the terror angle,” Arora said.

Bathinda SSP Swapan Sharma said those killed were “passersby” and their identities were still to be established. Sharma said the explosion took place in a Maruti 800 car.

There was confusion on what triggered the blast. An initial report claimed an LPG cylinder had exploded but police later said a pressure cooker had been found at the site.

Maur Mandi SDM Latif Ahmed said: “Three persons have died in the blast and a pressure cooker has been recovered. We are not sure what caused the blast. The car in which the blast occurred has been damaged completely.”

Congress candidate Jassi, his nephew Vikram said, was “too shocked and not in a position to speak”. Incidentally, Jassi’s daughter is married to the son of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.