A Jalandhar-Udhampur train was halted and evacuated at Kandrori railway station in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, 15 km from Kandrori, following a bomb scare on Friday morning.
However, the bomb threat later turned out to be harmless luggage.
The commotion began at 11:30am soon after a passenger raised the alarm on spotting unidentified luggage.
The train was halted, and the Government Railway Police (GRP) sounded an alert to their counterparts at Pathankot railway station, following which a combined search operation was launched by the Himachal Pradesh and Punjab police.
The security forces got the train evacuated, while a bomb disposal squad was called in to assist the army, which also reached the scene.
Meanwhile, a Dinanagar woman, Surinder Kaur, approached the Dinanagar station master claiming that her luggage comprising a trolley bag, a small bag and two gift packs was left behind in the train at Mirthal in Gurdaspur district where she got off to relieve herself.
The station master called the Kandrori railway station chief and told him about the luggage’s owner, following which the security forces gave the train clearance and allowed it to resume its journey around 2pm.
“Since the railway station is in Himachal, the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) intimated Kangra Police and sought expert technical assistance,” said Kangra superintendent of police (SP) Sanjeev Gandhi, who sent a team led by Nurpur DSP Mahinder Minhas and a bomb disposal squad to the spot. Pathankot senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rakesh Kaushal also deputed a team led by deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Manoj Thakur.
{{/usCountry}}“Since the railway station is in Himachal, the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) intimated Kangra Police and sought expert technical assistance,” said Kangra superintendent of police (SP) Sanjeev Gandhi, who sent a team led by Nurpur DSP Mahinder Minhas and a bomb disposal squad to the spot. Pathankot senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rakesh Kaushal also deputed a team led by deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Manoj Thakur.
{{/usCountry}}“The luggage belonged to a woman passenger who missed the train at Mirthal railway station, around 14km from Kandrori,” Gandhi said, adding that the luggage was handed over to the owner.
Pathankot DSP Manoj Thakur said mindful of the Pathankot air base and Dinanagar terror attacks, they immediately sprung into action and carried out searches at the scene.
Earlier on March 25, the police were left on their toes after an unclaimed bag was found under the Chakki Bridge in Pathankot, while another unclaimed bag was found on a train at Pathankot railway station on January 26.