Police in northern India have arrested five suspects in connection with a series of homemade bomb explosions that occurred outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest shrine in Sikhism. The blasts on May 6, May 8, and May 10 occurred outside the temple, which houses Sikhism’s holy scripture. The police deputy commissioner in the state of Punjab stated that the suspects confessed to their involvement in all three explosions. The police are still investigating the motive behind the blasts.
The Golden Temple, one of Punjab’s top attractions, witnessed violence in the past when the Indian army stormed the temple in 1984 and killed Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a leader of an outlawed separatist movement that seeks to establish a sovereign state for Sikhs called Khalistan. Last January, a man was allegedly beaten to death after entering the temple, grabbing a bejeweled ceremonial sword, and swinging it over his head before being overpowered by devotees.
Two of the five suspects are accused of assembling the bombs and carrying out the explosions, while the other two allegedly helped supply the materials. The police have seized their electronic devices and phones. The suspects have been arrested for causing injury and damage by using explosives. Police have used CCTV footage from the third explosion to track down the suspects.
The blasts have caused concerns among the Sikh minority in India, accounting for nearly 60% of Punjab’s 28 million population. The rise in hate crimes against minority groups in recent years amid simmering religious tensions in the country has added to the apprehensions.
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