A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Friday visited the site of an explosion near a police station in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district, even as pro-Khalistan groups Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the Punjab Sovereignty Alliance (PSA) purportedly claimed responsibility for the incident in a social media post, police said.
The blast took place near the police station at Nalagarh on Thursday morning, officials said, adding that the explosion created a two-and-a-half-foot deep crater. “The investigation is on. We have scanned the CCTV footage, but have not found anything suspicious so far. The officials from forensic science department visited the spot and collected the samples,” Baddi superintendent of police (SP) Vinod Dhiman said.
The NIA team had visited as per the procedure, DIG Anjum Ara said, adding that a team from the agency visits the site in such blast cases.
Amid the probe into the incident, pro-Khalistan groups BKI and PSA purportedly claimed responsibility for the blast in a social media post. “This attack was carried out by our brave soldiers because synthetic drugs are being manufactured in Himachal and sent to Punjab,” the two groups purportedly said in the post. “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, and a response will be given that will be beyond their comprehension.”
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the social media post.
Even as the credibility of the social media post was yet to be ascertained, officials said, directions have been issued from the Police Headquarters in Shimla for all districts to remain on alert. “We too have seen the post on social media but the credibility of the post is yet to be established,” the SP said.
Later in the day, police issued a statement, confirming that separate teams have been constituted to scan CCTV footage. Coordination has also been established with the Punjab Police and the NIA, it added.
A case has been registered at Nalagarh police station under sections 324(4) (mischief) and 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Explosive Substances Act. The matter is being investigated thoroughly from all angles and the situation is under continuous monitoring, the statement said.
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