By IANS
Karnal (Haryana) : Forensic experts of the Haryana police Saturday evening launched an investigation into a blast on a highway near this town when the convoy of Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh was passing through that route.
The sect chief, who was returning after attending a court hearing on two cases of murder conspiracy and one of alleged rape against him in a special court in Ambala city, escaped unhurt.
The blast took place at Butana village near Nilokheri town, 15 km from here and 130 km from Chandigarh.
Haryana’s Additional Director General of Police P.V. Rathee confirmed that the blast took place near the Dera chief’s convoy.
“We have detained two people who were driving the truck. We have found a detonator from the spot. We are questioning them,” Rathee said.
Witnesses told police they heard a blast-like noise as a truck passed the convoy of the heavily guarded sect chief. The vehicle of the sect chief was a slightly away from the truck.
At least 10 supporters of the dera chief, who were moving in his convoy, were injured in the pile-up of the convoy vehicles after the blast. Two of them were admitted to Karnal civil hospital in a serious condition. Some vehicles of the convoy were also damaged.
A forensic team from the Haryana Armed Police headquarters at Madhuban near here rushed to the spot to investigate what caused the blast.
The dera chief continued his journey to his sect headquarters near Sirsa town.
“Guruji is absolutely safe and is heading back to the dera. We have no details about the blast but something did happen,” said sect spokesman Pawan Insaan, who was travelling in the convoy.
On hearing about the attack, sect followers came out in large numbers in Karnal, Ambala and other places in Haryana.
Police had to resort to cane charge, bursting teargas shells and even firing in the air after Dera supporters blocked the national highway No. 1 passing through Karnal.
Thousands of commuters on the busy highway were stranded in massive traffic jams in Karnal and Ambala after dera supporters blocked the highway.