File pic of the blast site at Maur Mandi in Bathinda. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)
Four Dera Sacha Sauda followers recorded their statements in the sub-divisional magistrate court in Bathinda on Thursday afternoon in connection with the Maur bomb blast case of 2017. The blast, which took place days before the Vidhan Sabha polls in Punjab, claimed seven lives, including of 5 minors, and left 25 injured.
Out of the four witnesses, three are from Sirsa and the fourth one is from Ganganagar, confirmed police sources. AIG Swapan Sharma confirmed that witnesses had recorded their statements but refused to divulge any other information. Police, however, claimed they were close to cracking this case.
Sources also confirmed that the Maruti 800 car, used in the blast, was also assembled inside the Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa premises. A pressure cooker with nuts and bolts was also recovered from the car.
Police sources claimed that the witnesses, who have appeared in court a year after the incident, had a “change of heart” after reading repeated media reports about the condition of the injured and the families of the dead.
The blast took place on January 31 last year around 8.30 pm at Maur Mandi’s main market close to the venue of Congress candidate Harminder Singh Jassi’s election rally. Jassi’s personal assistant Harminder Singh Palli was killed in the blast and his car was also damaged. Jassi is a close relative of Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim who is currently in jail. Jassi’s daughter is married to Ram Rahim’s son.