CHANDIGARH: Unidentified gunmen struck in a big way in strife torn northern Punjab state’s Abohar town on March 8 killing at least 38: people and injuring 30 others in indiscriminate firing in Punjab.
Elsewhere in the state eight freedom fighters were killed and about Rs 150,000 was looted, police said here.
A gang of five gunmen who came in a jeep opened fire from Ak-47 assault rifles in the main bazaar known as “Bazaar no 12 and then exploded two bombs in the area.
Official sources here said one of the explosions took place in a power house which had disrupted the power supply to the affected areas hampering relief operations.
The gunmen were reported to have moved about in the area for 15 to 20 minutes from 7.45 pm (local time). They fired indiscriminately in the shops which were still open then.
Senior police and civil officials, including the deputy commissioner of Ferozepur, have reached Abohar where tension was stated to be mounting.
Additional police reinforcements were being rushed to the town.
State governor N.K. Mukarji along with the state home secretary visited the town on Thursday a senior official said.
Meanwhile, five political parties gave a call for a general strike to protest the killings.
The local unit of the Janata Dal, BJP, the Congress I, CPI and CPM while endorsing the closure call, condemned the massacre and appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony.
Ten people were shot dead in Tarn Taran district while five others were killed elsewhere in the state on March 9.
Police said two gunmen opened fire killing 10 passengers of a car and injuring three others in Tarn Taran.
The assailants escaped despite the presence of security men in the area.
A trader, Mohinder Pal, was shot dead by two armed men. In another incident, Dilbagh Singh was killed in Pandori,
Two suspected “Babbar KhaIsa” men were gunned down near village Mehndipur.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 16, 1990
