Amritsar, October 16
A red alert has been sounded in Punjab, in view of the blast at Shringar cinema hall in Ludhiana. The security has been beefed up at major religious and tourist spots including the Golden Temple and Durgiana Temple here. Security has also been tightened at the Amritsar international airport, railway station and bus stand.

However, Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, SSP, while talking to The Tribune said the police had already been put on a high alert for last three days due to Navratra festival and adequate arrangements have been made at religious places. Senior police officers including R L Bhagat, DIG border range along with SSP personally visited important places to oversee the arrangements and to get the proper feedback of the security around the sensitive places. The senior police functionaries held a meeting with cinema-hall-owners and gave necessary instructions to them to take precautionary measures to avoid breaches in security.

Meanwhile, police parties had been conducting search at Railway stations, bus stand and international airport since Monday night. It is still continued, said Vijay Partap. Senior police officials also visited the Durgiana Temple, Longawala Temple, Mata Lal Devi temple in Rani Ka Bagh besides nearby areas of the Darbar Saheb. According to reports, nakas have been put up at all entry and exit points of holy city. The SSP said policemen were also keeping a close watch on all heavily crowded areas.

Meanwhile, many social and religious organisations condemned the blast that led to the death of six persons including a 10-year-old child, while injuring about 12 persons. Khalsa Action Committee (KAC), while strongly condemning the attack, described it as inhuman and barbaric. Bhai Mohkam Singh and Kanwarpal Singh, leaders of KAC, urged the state government to hold a high level probe and order judicial enquiry to bring the real culprits to book.

Manmohan Singh, UK based leader of the Dal Khalsa also condemned the attack.