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Explosion rips through freight corridor in Sirhind
Section of track blown up near Khanpur crossing; railway staffer injured as security agencies probe potential sabotage ahead of Republic Day.
Railway staffer injured, train engine and section of track damaged near Khanpur crossing; NIA, Punjab Police probe potential sabotage ahead of Republic Day
An explosion damaged a railway track and a freight engine and left a railway staffer injured near Sirhind at 9.50 pm on Friday, just days before Republic Day, raising fears of a sabotage attempt amid heightened security arrangements.
On Saturday evening, the country’s premier counter-terrorism agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), joined the probe after being alerted by the Punjab Police.
In a significant development, Khalistan Zindabaad Force (KLF), a Khalistani militant organisation, claimed responsibility for the blast. In a statement issued by Ranjit Singh Jammu, the outfit said the explosion was carried out on the 40th anniversary of the declaration of Khalistan to remind the Indian government that the fight for Khalistan was still alive and would continue.
Deputy inspector general (DIG), Ropar Range, Dr Nanak Singh, who reached the site soon after the incident, said the blast occurred near a newly built section of the dedicated freight corridor (DFC) close to the Khanpur railway crossing. The engine of the freight train passing through the section at the time of the blast was damaged, he said.
“Our teams have already started the investigation, and arrests will be made soon,” DIG Singh said.
Asked whether RDX was used in the blast, Fatehgarh Sahib police officials said it was too early to comment. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Shubham Aggarwal said a first information report (FIR) had already been registered and added that the police were in touch with central agencies.
According to police officials, the force of the explosion was sufficient to destroy a three-to-four-foot stretch of the railway track.
Safety officer Anil Sharma sustained minor injuries in the blast and was rushed to a nearby hospital for first-aid. He has since been discharged.
The railway authorities and Punjab Police cordoned off the area immediately after the explosion. Preliminary police findings suggest the deliberate use of an explosive.
A senior police official, privy to the investigation, said, “Our teams are already investigating the case. NIA has also joined the probe. We informed all central agencies, including the NIA, soon after the incident.”
“Repair work was carried out on a war-footing overnight. The damaged section of the track was restored by early morning and freight operations have resumed,” another police official said.
The incident comes at a time when Punjab is already under tight security in the run-up to Republic Day on January 26.
Just a day before, the Delhi Police had lodged an FIR against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), another pro-Khalistan group involved in secessionist activities, for allegedly threatening unrest in the Capital ahead of Republic Day.
Pannun, a US resident, released a video on social media, in which he also allegedly used abusive slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and had warned the Sikh community against travelling by trains to Delhi between January 26 to January 29.
In another video, Pannun also threatened to disrupt the Republic Day function on Hoshiarpur, to be presided over by Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann. HT could not independently verify the videos.
Congress, BJP slam AAP govt
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the blast, claiming that it was a clear failure of the AAP government and the police.
Reacting to the late-night blast, Warring said the Congress had continuously been warning the AAP government against the threat to peace, and law and order in the state. “People of the state are already living in an atmosphere of fear of gangsters and now there is the terror of blasts that brings back the memories of the dark era in Punjab,” he added.
He alleged that the AAP government’s priority had never been peace and law and order in Punjab, but only publicity, that was its only means of survival.
He pointed out that the blast took place when the AAP government was claiming massive on-field operations against gangsters. “This means police and intelligence personnel would be on the ground and still a blast took place,” he said.
Punjab BJP’s working president Ashwani Sharma also hit out against the AAP government, stating that the blast exposed negligence in security arrangements and the failure of the administration. “Law and order is not an advertising campaign but a constitutional duty of the government. However, the Bhagwant Mann government has failed to discharge this responsibility,” he said.
Sharma alleged that gangsterism in Punjab had become rampant, drugs had destroyed the youth and ordinary citizens were feeling unsafe. But instead of taking strict measures on the ground, the government was merely confined to advertisements and claims.
Sharma demanded that the government immediately fix accountability, order a high-level inquiry and take the strictest possible action against the culprits.
