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, Spread Terror

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.

Suspected Bomber Identified

The suspected bomber who lost his life in the Patiala blast has been identified as Jagroop Singh. Republic Media network has also accessed a photograph of the deceased. Jagroop Singh was a resident of Panjwar village in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab.

Authorities were able to establish his identity through a mobile phone recovered from the blast site. Despite the intensity of the explosion, the device remained undamaged and proved crucial in confirming who the person was.'0

The blast was so powerful that it left the victim’s body severely mutilated. Most parts of his body were blown apart, with only the abdomen and chest remaining relatively intact. Body fragments were found scattered up to 500 meters away from the railway track.

Investigators also recovered a Sirhind to Rajpura bus ticket from the deceased suspect. This has become an important lead in tracing the sequence of events leading up to the incident.

In the aftermath of the explosion, railway security has been significantly increased, particularly in Jammu. Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Police personnel have been deployed along railway tracks, with special focus on critical points along the Punjab-Jammu railway route.

According to Railway DGP Shashi Prabha Tiwari, the primary motive behind the high-intensity blast appears to have been to spread terror. The explosion occurred near a freight train, and initial investigation suggest the intent may have been to disrupt railway operations and development activities. So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack.