Himachal police station blast: Punjab Police arrests two BKI operatives, recover IED

Yadav said that arrested operatives were acting on the directions of Shushant Chopra, a close associate of Gurpreet, alias Gopi Nawanshahria, and BKI mastermind Harwinder Singh Rinda.

The DGP said that preliminary investigation has revealed that on December 31, 2025, the arrested accused persons along with their two accomplices had transported an IED from Punjab to Himachal Pradesh, which was later used in the Nalagarh police station blast on January 1, 2026, as part of a larger conspiracy targeting police establishments. Further investigation is ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages in this case, he said.

Earlier, the BKI — a banned terror outfit — and Punjab Sovereignty Alliance (PSA) had claimed responsibility for the blast terming it a wake up call to Himachal Pradesh administration for “failing” to act against those manufacturing synthetic drugs in the hill state “and pushed it into Punjab”. “Our youth are dying after consuming the synthetic drugs. If the administration still does not wake up or no action is taken, then next time IEDs will be planted in the vehicles and headquarters of the police administration,” they had said.

The blast, which took place in the morning of January 1, had left a two feet deep crater, and shattered window panes of the nearby structures. A case was then registered at Nalagarh police station under BNS Sections 324(4) (mischief) and 125 (act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life) and the Explosive Substances Act.

Sharing operational details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nawanshahr Tushar Gupta said that during investigation of an FIR registered under provisions of the NDPS Act at Rahon police station, the role of arrested accused persons came to fore.

The SSP said that based on disclosures and follow-up action, one IED has been recovered from the spot pinpointed by the accused, further corroborating their involvement in the terror conspiracy. Police teams have also identified the two accomplices of the arrested accused persons and raids are being carried out to nab them, he said.

In this regard, a separate FIR, dated January 29, has been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act, sections 4 an 5 of the Explosives Substances Act, sections 10,13, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and section 113(1) and 113(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station Rahon