Monday, May 23 2005 08:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Suspected terrorists struck in the national capital last night (May 22, 2005) killing one person and injuring at least 56 people, including seven women and three children, by triggering powerful explosions in two cinema halls in quick succession during the screening of controversial movie 'Jo Bole So Nihal'.

The blasts occurred in Liberty and Satyam Cineplex, located at a distance of three kilometres from each other, within a span of 20 minutes during the screening of the Sunny Deol-starrer movie to which several Sikh organisations have objected.

Senior Delhi police officials suspected the blasts to be the handiwork of terrorists but no group has claimed responsibility for the incidents. The investigation into the blasts has been handed over to Delhi Police's counter-terrorist unit Special Cell.

At least 49 people, including five women, were wounded in a blast that occurred in the fifth row of the rear stall of Liberty in Central Delhi at around 2025 hours, police said.

One of the injured died while being taken to Ganga Ram Hospital, police said.

At around 20:45 hrs (IST), another explosion occurred at Satyam Cinema Hall in West Delhi, injuring seven viewers, including three women.

Immediately after the twin blasts, Delhi was put on high alert and several cinema halls in and around the national capital, which were screening the film, were evacuated. Night shows were cancelled in most of the theatres and police personnel carried out checks for explosives in these.

Senior officials of Special Cell accompanied by forensic experts visited the blast sites to ascertain the nature of explosives used.

The explosive in Liberty was placed under the fifth row of the rear stall while in Satyam, it went off in the toilet.

Delhi's borders with neighbouring states were sealed and checking of vehicles and other people was also launched.

The blasts in Delhi had its echo in Mumbai, Pune and Vadodara where security was beefed up around the cinema halls screening the film, which has been withdrawn from one theatre each in Mumbai and Vadodara.

The movie has been withdrawn from the PVR group of six to seven cinema halls in Delhi where the movie was being shown, their owner Ajay Bijli said.

The film was withdrawn from all theatres across Punjab last week following violent protests from Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, the supreme body managing Sikh shrines in Punjab and some other parts of the country.