Rail bomb plot foiled, four arrested in Punjab

In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police on Tuesday cracked a Pakistan-backed, pro-Khalistan terror module responsible for a botched bomb attempt on a Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) railway track near Shambhu in Patiala district. Four highly radicalised operatives were arrested, and a cache of arms, explosives and communication devices was recovered, officials said.

The low-intensity blast occurred late on Monday night near Bothonia village on the Rajpura-Shambhu rail section (Shambhu-Ambala line). Police initially described it as a low-intensity explosion but later confirmed it was an attempted detonation of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that went off prematurely. One module member, Jagroop Singh, aka Joopa (39), from Panjwar village in Tarn Taran district, was killed on the spot while planting the device.

Addressing a joint press conference, DIG Patiala Range Kuldeep Singh Chahal and SSP Patiala Varun Sharma announced that the case was solved within hours through technical surveillance, forensic analysis of a recovered SIM card and mobile phone and coordinated raids. The module was allegedly directed by handlers based in Malaysia with direct links to Pakistan’s notorious spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and aimed to carry out multiple strikes on public infrastructure across Punjab to spread panic and stall development.

All four arrested accused are described as habitual offenders with multiple criminal cases against them. They have been identified as Pardeep Singh Khalsa, Kulwinder Singh alias Bagga, Satnam Singh alias Satta and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi.

Pardeep Singh, the kingpin of the module, is from Mansa district. Investigations have revealed that he formed a radical outfit called Chalda Vaheer Chakarwarti, Attariye, maintained close contact with a Malaysia-based pro-Khalistan terrorist and coordinated with Pakistan-based arms suppliers. He allegedly recruited and sent radicalised youth abroad for training.

Investigations suggest Jagroop Singh had travelled to Malaysia in 2019 and was part of the same network. One more accomplice is believed to have been present at the site and is being traced.

The accused have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and will be produced in court shortly. Police have sought their remand for intensive interrogation. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is expected to take over the probe given the cross-border terror angle.

DIG Chahal appealed to Punjab’s youth: “Those sitting abroad ensure a secure future for their own children but mislead our youth here. Jagroop Singh had two minor daughters and such actions have destroyed an entire family.” He warned against falling prey to foreign inducements.

Earlier, rail traffic on the affected section was briefly halted as a precaution but has since been restored. No passengers were injured in the incident. This is the second such suspected sabotage attempt on Punjab railway tracks in recent months, underscoring heightened security concerns ahead of key developments in the state.

Investigators are examining possible connections to an earlier blast on January 23-24, 2026, near Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib district, some 40 km away. That incident damaged a freight track and engine, injured a loco pilot, and was claimed by the banned Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) via a social media letter calling it a trailer’ ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Khalistan declaration.

The incident has drawn sharp political criticism. Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused the AAP government of failing to safeguard hard-earned peace, claiming administrative lapses are allowing criminals to operate. As of now, the investigation is continuing with senior officials of Punjab Police claiming that the scope of the probe has been expanded and more arrests are likely.