NEW DELHI: Three persons including a police commando were killed and 15 others wounded late Sunday night as car-borne Punjab militants struck the capital in three places and made an unsuccessful attempts on the lives of Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler Congress (I) candidates for outer Delhi and Sadar parliamentary constituencies.
The militants, armed with automatic weapons, snatched a blue colored Maruti carat Punjabi Bagh and went on a shooting spree, first ata Congress (I) election office in Punjabi Bagh club, then at the residence of Sajjan Kumar at nearby Paschim Vihar and at a bus stop at Madipur, which was a little distance away.
Sajjan Kumar had alighted from his car and was entering his residence after the election-eve door-to-door canvassing, when the militants opened fire in full view of his security guards. Seven persons including some policemen: were injured in this incident. Police said Sajjan Kumar escaped unhurt.
Of the three dead, two were brought dead to the Deendayal Upadhaya hospital and the other to the ESI hospital, it was officially stated. Among the eight wounded admitted into the ESI hospital, one was stated to be in a critical condition, Doctors said some of the injured were victims of a bomb blast.
This was the second attempt on Congress (I) candidates in the capital by suspected Punjab militants in the last two days.
On Friday night, suspected militants had opened fire at a meeting which has been addressed by the Congress (I) candidate in Sadar constituency, Jagdish Tyler. Tyler had escaped unhurt, but two persons had been killed and over 35 others injured in the incident.
Subsequently, the police had sounded a red alert in the capital and beefed up security.
Polling in Delhi was held on Monday.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 24, 1991
