Pakistan-based handler provided IED for Rajasthan railway blast, says ATS chief
Two individuals from Punjab were arrested in connection with the November 3 explosion on the Anupgarh-Suratgarh railway line.
Rajasthan Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Dinesh MN stated on Sunday that a Pakistan-based handler named Shah provided an improvised explosive device (IED) and selected the location for a railway track blast in Sri Ganganagar district. The explosion occurred on November 3 on the Anupgarh-Suratgarh railway line near 50 GB village.
A joint operation involving the Ganganagar Police, the ATS, and the Gurdaspur Police in Punjab led to the arrest of Devendra Singh and Mahakdeep Kaur on Saturday. Both individuals are residents of Gurdaspur in Punjab, according to ANI.
Dinesh MN said the accused visited the site three times before the successful blast on their third attempt. He noted that the accused admitted to their roles and that mobile records and other evidence have established their involvement in the incident.
The ATS chief added that the accused received approximately Rs 2.03 lakh. Investigators are currently looking into why Ganganagar was targeted and whether the same Pakistani group was responsible for previous RDX and IED shipments.
Police have also detained other individuals suspected of assisting with the blast. Bikaner Inspector General of Police Om Prakash and Sri Ganganagar Superintendent of Police Harishankar are questioning the accused as part of the investigation led by IPS officer Nitin Chaudhary.
The arrested individuals are scheduled to be presented in court.