A petrol bomb was hurled at a homoeopathic clinic on Mela Ram Road in Bathinda on Monday night, an incident that occurred while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was in the city and police were on high alert.
Attack Details
The clinic, run by Dr Tarsem Garg, is located directly opposite the recently inaugurated Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office. Dr Garg's family recently switched allegiance from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). No injuries were reported, but a scooty parked in the courtyard and some plants were damaged. The petrol bomb struck a window, leaving visible burn marks.
Dr Garg stated, “Two employees were present at the clinic when the attack took place. They informed me over the phone that a blast had occurred and that they had extinguished the fire. After reaching the clinic and watching the CCTV footage, I found that two persons had lit a petrol bomb and hurled it at the premises. Senior police officers visited the spot, and I hope swift action will be taken.”
Police Response
Deputy Inspector General Harjeet Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police Jyoti Yadav, and SPs Narinder Singh and Jasmeet Singh visited the scene. SP (City) Narinder Singh said, “We received information that two unidentified youths had thrown a petrol bomb at the clinic in Vishal Nagar. We inspected the spot, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. Various teams are working on the case. We have some leads, but it would not be appropriate to disclose them at this stage.”
SSP Jyoti Yadav added, “The CIA team and forensic experts have collected samples from the site. Petrol is easily available, and it appears that some miscreants carried out the attack. The investigation is under way.”
Context and Impact
Local residents described the incident as sensitive given the clinic’s proximity to the RSS office. The chief minister is scheduled to hold three programmes in Bathinda district on Tuesday, having arrived in the city on Monday night.
