Former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa alleged that the wounds caused by the horrific and tragic bomb blast in Maur Mandi, Bathinda one of the most painful incidents in Punjab’s history are still fresh.
He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, who had promised justice to the victims and claimed they would ensure the arrest of the accused, have failed to deliver justice even after four and a half years.
He stated that all the main accused in the case Gurtej Singh, Avtar Singh, and Amrik Singh are still far from police custody. The government has also failed to determine where the explosive material used in the blast was procured from.
He said that Punjab had not witnessed such a devastating blast in the last 25 years, where so many people lost their lives simultaneously. Despite the seriousness of the case, no thorough investigation has been carried out so far, and government agencies have completely failed to uncover the truth.
Randhawa questioned CM Mann and Speaker Sandhwan, asking whether the victim families would ever get justice. He said the government must clearly explain what action has been taken so far in such a sensitive matter and why the accused are still absconding.
He pointed out that in 2020, the SIT had included Harmandir Singh Jassi, son-in-law of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, in the investigation for the first time, but no further action was taken afterward. He added that even the Dera chief was never questioned in the matter, which raises serious questions about the government’s intent.
He also noted that the Punjab Government has already been reprimanded by the High Court in connection with this case.Randhawa alleged that even nine years after the tragic bomb blast that occurred on January 31, 2017, the accused have still not been arrested.
Before the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party government in 2022, both Mann and Sandhwan had repeatedly claimed at every stage that they would ensure punishment for the accused in the blast case. However, after coming to power, their government allegedly pushed the matter into cold storage.
Randhawa said that the casual approach in the Maur blast case reflects a serious failure of Punjab’s law-and-order and investigative machinery. He said the inability to ensure arrests raises major questions about the Punjab Government and investigating agencies.
He added that seven people, including five innocent children, lost their lives in the explosion, while more than two dozen others were seriously injured. He said the deceased included Japsimran Singh (14), Ripandeep Singh (11), Saurabh Singla (13), Ankush Insa, Ashok, Barkha, and Harpal Pali.
The incident had shaken the entire state of Punjab, but the victim families are still waiting for justice. He added that the government has failed to rise above political rhetoric. Randhawa said that delayed justice in cases related to terror and violence weakens public faith.
He demanded that the Punjab Government expedite the investigation and ensure the immediate arrest of the absconding accused so that justice can finally be delivered to the victim families. He emphasized that strict and time-bound action in such cases is essential to maintain peace and law and order in Punjab.