Maur bomb blasts: Appear or will declare POs, court to accused

A Talwandi Sabo court on Friday ordered to paste notices outside the houses of three accused in the Maur twin bomb blasts case, asking them to appear for hearing before September 24 or they will be declared proclaimed offenders (POs).

Seven persons, including five children, were killed in the blasts on January 31, 2017, shortly after the rally of the Congress candidate from the Maur segment, Harminder Singh Jassi, in the run-up to the assembly polls. Jassi, a relative of the dera head, had a narrow escape.

Inspector Dalbir Singh, a member of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case, said it was part of the process to declare an accused a PO.

Three Dera Sacha Sauda followers — Gurtej Singh Kala of Dabwali in Sirsa district, Amrik Singh of Bhikhi in Mansa district and Avtar Singh of Massimajra village near Pehowa in Haryana — were booked in the case

Kala was in-charge of the dera workshop where a Maruti 800 car, used in the blasts, was allegedly modified, while Amrik reportedly was a security guard of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Avtar was an electrician, who allegedly had helped in fixing batteries used in the bomb device fitted in the car.