Ludhiana: Two masked men opened fire at the historic Gurdwara Sri Manji Sahib in Rajoana Kalan village, near Raikot in Ludhiana (Rural) district, in the early hours of Wednesday, October 28, targeting the room of the gurdwara's chief sevadar, Baba Baldev Singh. No one was injured in the firing.

Source: TV9 Punjabi

According to reports, the two men arrived at the gurdwara complex around 3 am on a Platina motorcycle with its number plate covered and their faces wrapped in cloth. One of them went inside, paid obeisance and walked around the Nishan Sahib, and then fired at Baba Baldev Singh's room. The bullet passed through the glass on the room's door and struck the door and wall, TV9 Punjabi reported.

Baba Baldev Singh was not in the room at the time — he had gone to bathe as part of his daily routine — and escaped unhurt. Head granthi Baba Kulwant Singh, an eyewitness, told Daily Suraj the incident took place at about 3:10 am, shortly after the gurdwara's main gate had been opened, and that the attackers fled on the motorcycle immediately after firing.

Senior police officers reached the spot soon after the incident was reported. Ludhiana (Rural) SSP Dr Ankur Gupta was among the officers who visited the gurdwara, and forensic and other police teams collected evidence from the scene, The Stellar News and Daily Suraj reported. SHO Rajvinderpal Singh said police are examining the incident from every angle and scanning CCTV cameras inside and around the gurdwara to identify the attackers and establish the motive, according to TV9 Punjabi.

This is the second firing at a gurdwara in the Jagraon area in two days. On Tuesday, a similar incident was reported at Gurdwara Gopalsar near Gagra village, TV9 Punjabi reported. Whether the two incidents are linked has not been established, and police said the motive behind Wednesday's firing would become clear only after the investigation. No arrest had been reported at the time of publishing.