Patiala: A powerful IED blast occurred on the Ambala–Amritsar railway freight corridor line in Rajpura, Patiala, late Monday night, causing significant damage to the railway track near Rajpura–Shambhu station.
Police discovered a severely mutilated body at the site. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varun Sharma confirmed that the deceased was allegedly planting an explosive device on the track when it accidentally detonated, killing him on the spot. The man has been identified as Jagroop Singh, a resident of village Panjwar Khurd in Tarn Taran district.
According to Railway Special DGP Shashi Prabha Dwivedi, a goods train passed through the area shortly after the blast and reported a shock, which led authorities to the incident. She added that the deceased’s motorcycle was recovered from Amritsar along with a mobile phone, which is now being examined for clues about his network and contacts.
Police sources also confirmed that two additional motorcycles with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana registration numbers were found near the site and are under investigation.
Authorities revealed that recent threats by a group calling itself Khalistan National Army had warned of attacks on railway tracks. Two suspects have already been arrested in connection with related inputs, and a larger conspiracy is being investigated.
Special DGP Dwivedi also stated that the possibility of cross-border involvement cannot be ruled out. She noted that CCTV surveillance was not available on the freight corridor, which has made evidence collection more challenging.
Investigators further revealed that the deceased had traveled from Sirhind and had parked his motorcycle in Amritsar before reaching the site. His mobile phone and a recovered ticket are being analyzed for further leads.
Officials believe this is the second such attack attempt on the freight corridor, raising serious concerns over railway infrastructure security in the region.
