GUWAHATI: At least 10 persons were injured in a grenade blast that occurred in front of Central Mall on R G Baruah Road in the heart of city at around 7.40 on Wednesday night.
City police Commissioner, Dipak Kumar informed that miscreants came on a motorcycle and threw the grenade. The blast suspected to a grenade blast occurred at a place just about 20 feet away from a police check post in front of the Central Mall. The blast occurred during the rush hours on the arterial road during late evening.
The injured included two SSB jawans – Ramesh Lal and Amulya Lal. All the injured were admitted in three hospitals in the city including Guwahati Medical College Hospital.
The Police Commissioner said investigation was on into to the blast and exuded confidence to nab the culprits soon even as he said that security measures in and around the city would be geared up by several notches with immediate effect.
He said the grenade that might have targeted the regular police check post at the location. The police officials, however, claimed that any death due to the blast so far was yet to be confirmed.
According to an eye-witness, at least eight persons fell on the ground in the impact of the blast while onlookers and police personnel rushed to help the injured.
Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal has condemned the blast and asked the state DGP to immediately arrest the culprits behind the dastardly blast.
State Director General of Police (DGP), Kuladhar Saikia and other senior officials rushed to the blast site to supervise the investigation.
Meanwhile, the banned United Liberation front of Asom (Independent) or ULFA(I) has claimed responsibility for the grenade blast. The self-styled commander in chief of the outfit contacted a section of media houses here to claim that the grenade was targeted at the Assam police/CRPF picket at the location.