HM Amit Shah briefed on Ludhiana blast; MHA seeks report

New Delhi, Dec 23: Union Home Minister Amit Shah was briefed about a blast in Ludhiana on Thursday that killed a person and injured six others, and the overall situation in Punjab, officials said. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla briefed Shah about the blast inside the Ludhiana district court complex and the overall law-and-order situation in Punjab.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a detailed report on the blast from the Punjab government, an official said. In a communication, the MHA asked the state government to send the report as early as possible.

The MHA also asked the state government to inform it about the findings of the initial probe and who could possibly be involved in the explosion, the official said. A team of the National Security Guard (NSG) visited the blast site for a forensic analysis.

Shah is also believed to have spoken to Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi about the blast and the prevailing law-and-order situation in the state. One of the walls in the court complex got damaged and the windows of vehicles parked on the premises were shattered due to the blast that took place on the second floor of the complex. Ludhiana Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the area has been sealed and forensic teams will collect samples from the blast site. PTI ACB RC