Chandigarh, 28 April (H.S.): A bomb explosion occurred last night

on the Delhi–Patiala railway track near the Shambhu sector along the

Punjab–Haryana border. The young man who was allegedly planting the explosive

device was killed in the blast. Police recovered his body parts on

Tuesday morning.

The explosion disrupted railway traffic for

several hours. The incident took place in a forested area near Bathonia village

in Patiala district, where the railway track passes through dense forest.

Notably, this region has witnessed similar incidents in the past, even during

the militancy period.

Patiala SSP Varun Sharma stated on Tuesday that

information about the explosion near Shambhu was received late at night. He,

along with the DIG of Patiala Range and officials from the Government Railway

Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF), immediately reached the spot.

A deep crater was found at the site, prompting authorities to halt train

movement as a precaution.

Initially, the blast was believed to be of low

intensity. However, further investigation revealed that it was an attempted

sabotage. The explosive device detonated prematurely, resulting in the death of

the man planting it. His body parts were found scattered over a considerable

distance.

The railway track suffered only minor damage,

which has since been repaired, and train services have resumed. Police have

also recovered important evidence from the site, including a mobile phone SIM

card, which is currently under examination.

Few weeks ago, an email threat had warned of

bomb attacks on railway tracks across Punjab and Haryana. The message

specifically mentioned plans to carry out explosions between Ambala and Delhi

on April 24 at 8:11 AM.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH