Punjab Newsline | Ludhiana
Panic gripped a narrow lane in Sarafa Bazaar, Ludhiana, after a youth allegedly set off a sutli bomb (string cracker) and fled the spot on Monday night. The explosion was so loud that a heavy iron gate reportedly shook, leaving residents feeling as if an earthquake had occurred.
CCTV footage has captured a youth lighting the firecracker and running away from the scene.
According to local residents, the incident took place in Nalkewali Gali between 10 pm and 10:15 pm. Laltu, a local resident who works in the gold trade, said the blast was extremely loud. When people rushed outside to investigate, they found smoke at the spot but no one was present.
Residents claimed that the same youth had allegedly carried out a similar prank in the area around 10 pm on Sunday night. Some locals suspect that an outsider familiar with the market may be behind the repeated incidents.
A police investigation officer said the police received information about the incident between 11 pm and 11:15 pm on Monday, following which a PCR team and police personnel reached the spot. Pieces of the sutli bomb were found scattered at the scene.
Police said the incident occurred in a densely populated area with narrow lanes, where the sound of even a small firecracker can reverberate and appear much louder. Based on the preliminary assessment, police suspect it to be a prank rather than a planned conspiracy and have urged residents not to panic.
The officer added that the youth's face is not yet clearly visible in the CCTV footage due to darkness. Police are examining footage from cameras in the surrounding area to identify and trace the suspect.
