‘Attempted detonation’ on Punjab railway track leaves 1 dead; double murder in Batala shooting spree

The Punjab Police said the device failed to explode fully, with the detonator itself getting destroyed on the tracks, killing Jagroop Singh, a resident of Panjwar village in Tarn Taran district.

Meanwhile, the incident has affected the movement of trains passing through the track. Northern Railway authorities said that the details of the affected trains will be released soon.

#WATCH | Punjab: A detonation was attempted at a railway track in Rajpura city of Patiala last night. Visuals from the spot. Police say that the person who was carrying out the detonation attempt died while doing it. An investigation has begun.

SSP Patiala Varun Sharma says,… pic.twitter.com/gdbAMl7wTU

— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2026

Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varun Sharma said a joint investigation is being carried out with the Railway Police and other agencies to probe the incident. “Preliminary investigation suggests it was an ‘attempted detonation’ in which the operator was killed. We have recovered a SIM card and other material from the site.” Sharma said.

The police said the recovery of suspicious material has raised concerns. Forensic teams have been called in to analyse the evidence and ascertain the nature of the device and possible intent.

In police terminology, an attempted detonation refers to a situation where there is an effort to trigger an explosive device, but it either fails to go off completely or does not achieve the intended impact.

The development comes months after a blast was reported 40 kilometres from the current spot, near Sirhind railway station in Fatehgarh Sahib district on January 24, ahead of Republic Day. A portion of the track was damaged, and a loco pilot of a goods train was injured in the incident that occurred late at night while the train was passing through the stretch.

Meanwhile, a firing was reported on Monday night at Bhoma village in Batala in which two people were killed, and one was injured. Sources said that six people came on two motorcycles and recklessly opened fire on the villagers. The deceased has been identified as Kashmir Singh, 40, and Jugraj Singh, 18. Another person named Jugraj Singh is stated to be critical.

Government’s priorities remain elsewhere: Congress

Reacting to the developments, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, “The state has woken up to disturbing incidents, including a bomb blast on a railway track and violence elsewhere. These are ominous indications. The hard-earned peace is at stake in Punjab. With the Aam Aadmi Party government preoccupied, saboteurs and criminals are exploiting the situation. We have repeatedly warned about the deteriorating law and order situation, but the government’s priorities remain elsewhere.”