Explosion On Punjab's Rajpura-Shambhu Rail Track: Suspected Bomber Killed While Planting Device

Patiala: A low-intensity explosion on the railway track between Rajpura and Shambhu in Punjab’s Patiala district late Monday night left one man dead, with police suspecting that the deceased may have been attempting to plant a bomb.

The blast occurred around 9.45 PM near Bathonia village. As per the police, the body of an unidentified man was found in a mutilated condition at the site, indicating he may have been caught in the explosion while handling the explosive device. 

Senior officials, including DIG Kuldeep Singh Chahal and SSP Varun Sharma, rushed to the spot soon after the incident was reported.

Attempt To Derail Train

Police teams recovered several items from the scene, including wires, suspected explosive materials, two motorcycles (one with UP registration number and other with Haryana registration number), and a damaged mobile phone. These are now being examined for forensic evidence.

Multiple agencies, including the CIA unit, forensic experts, and the bomb disposal squad, have launched a detailed investigation to ascertain the exact nature of the explosion and the identity of the deceased.

Officials suspect that the man may have accidentally triggered the blast while planting the device on the railway track. Further investigation is underway.

According to the initial assessment, this was possibly an attempt to derail a train. The NIA has been roped in to carry out parallel investigation in the incident. 

‘Not Low-Intensity Explosion, But Attempted Detonation’

SSP Patiala Varun Sharma shared more details about the incident. He said that preliminary investigations revealed ‘this was not a low-intensity explosion, but rather an attempted detonation’.

“The police have initiated an examination of the evidence collected from the scene, and the case will be solved shortly,” Varun Sharma said. 

Punjab Lok Sabha MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa took to X strongly condemning the ‘grave intelligence failure behind last night’s cowardly attempt to target the Delhi-Punjab railway track near Shambhu’.

He shared his disappointment about why no preventive measures were taken despite a prior threat alert. ‘Such lapses are unacceptable,’ he wrote on X.

“Accountability must be fixed, and urgent corrective steps are needed to ensure this is not repeated. The state government must answer this points to a serious breakdown in law and order and cannot be brushed aside,” he added.