‘Attempted Detonation’ on Patiala Rail Track Kills Operator, Probe Underway

CHANDIGARH, Apr 28: A blast at a railway track near the Shambhu area in Punjab’s Patiala was an attempted detonation, with the person carrying it out killed in the incident, a senior police officer said on Tuesday.

Patiala SSP Varun Sharma said the explosion, which occurred around 10 pm on Monday on the Shambhu-Ambala freight rail track, was initially believed to be low-intensity but was later found to be a planned detonation attempt.

Police earlier recovered an unidentified body, blown into pieces, from the spot, which was later identified as the individual attempting the blast.

The explosion caused some damage to the railway track, officials said.

“Late night, we had received information about a low intensity explosion at a railway track near the Shambhu-Haryana border. Immediately, I, along with the deputy inspector general of police and other senior officials, rushed to the spot,” Sharma said.

“We found that it was not a low intensity explosion but an attempted detonation,” he added.

During the attempt, the suspect died and his body was recovered from the site, police said.

Investigators have recovered a SIM card and other scientific evidence from the scene and launched a technical probe to uncover the conspiracy.

“We expect that we will soon unravel the whole conspiracy,” Sharma said.

He said the Government Railway Police, Railway Protection Force and other agencies are involved in the investigation.

Earlier in January, a similar blast on a dedicated freight corridor track in Fatehgarh Sahib’s Sirhind had damaged a train engine and injured a loco pilot. (Agencies)