Bathinda, June 23: A high-alert security operation commenced in Bathinda after a petrol bomb was hurled at a homoeopathic clinic on Mela Ram Road on Monday night. The incident occurred during the visit of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to the city, prompting immediate mobilization of senior law enforcement officials to the site.
The targeted premises belong to Dr Tarsem Garg, whose family recently transitioned from the Aam Aadmi Party to the Bharatiya Janata Party. The clinic is situated directly opposite the newly inaugurated Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh office, making the area highly sensitive. While no injuries were reported, the explosion damaged a scooty parked in the courtyard, scorched local flora, and left clear burn marks on a windowpane.
Senior law enforcement officials, including Deputy Inspector General Harjeet Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Jyoti Yadav, arrived to oversee the initial investigation. Forensic teams and the Crime Investigation Agency collected physical evidence from the scene to determine the exact nature of the materials used.
SP City Narinder Singh stated, “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.”
The investigation took a significant turn when the victim’s family received a suspicious communication shortly after the attack. Dr Rajni Garg, who practices alongside her husband and recently contested the Municipal Corporation elections under a BJP ticket, was contacted by an unknown overseas operative.
Dr Tarsem Garg declared, “About two hours after the incident, my wife received a WhatsApp call from a foreign number. The caller introduced himself as Shahzad Bhatti. When she asked who he was, he told her to search for him on Google and then disconnected the call.”
Intelligence records associate the name provided by the caller with a Pakistan-based terrorist operative. Meantime, the state administration maintained its scheduled itinerary for the Chief Minister, who is set to attend three public programmes across the district.
Dr Tarsem Garg asserted, “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.”
District authorities verified that patrols have been intensified around all vital installations in the area. SSP Jyoti Yadav affirmed, “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.”
