No explosive material found at Ghaziabad Police Outpost blast site, says DCP Rizul

Preliminary investigations into the explosion at the Vasundhara police outpost in Ghaziabad have found no traces of explosives, gunpowder or chemical residue at the site, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rizul Kumar said on Saturday.

Speaking to ANI over the phone, Kumar said the explosion occurred at around 9 p.m. on Friday, damaging the police outpost's window panes. No police personnel were injured, although a delivery worker was hit by shattered glass and taken to hospital.

"The incident occurred at around 9 pm on Friday, damaging the glass panes of two windows of the police chowki and causing a crack. No police personnel sustained injuries. A delivery boy was hit by a piece of glass and taken to hospital. He is now completely healthy," Kumar said.

He also said police were examining social media posts in which a group calling itself "Tehreek-e-Mujahideen" had allegedly claimed responsibility for the incident.

A team from the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), along with forensic experts, inspected the site and collected samples for examination. The Delhi Police Special Cell also reached the outpost on Saturday to assist in the investigation.

Ghaziabad Police Commissioner J. Ravinder Goud visited the spot and said investigators were examining all possible angles to establish the cause of the explosion.

Speaking to reporters, Goud said police received information about an explosion near the rear wall of the Vasundhara outpost, which falls under the Indirapuram police station area, at around 9 p.m. on Friday. A sub-inspector and a delivery worker were present at the location at the time.

"An investigation was initiated, and all available evidence at the scene has been collected. Our Bomb Disposal Squad, field unit, and forensic team are currently gathering all evidence from the site. So far, the investigation has not revealed the cause of the explosion; we are examining every possible angle. Once the reports are available, we will be able to clarify the nature of the blast," he said.

Goud added that several units of the Uttar Pradesh Police were involved in the investigation and that the exact circumstances would become clear after the forensic reports were received.

Indirapuram ACP Suryabali Maurya also confirmed that a sub-inspector and a delivery worker were present inside the outpost when the explosion occurred. The delivery worker was injured after shattered glass struck him.

The injured man was identified as 20-year-old Vishal, a resident of Arthala in Ghaziabad. He was taken to a private hospital in Delhi's Surya Nagar for treatment. Police later said he was stable and had recovered.

The explosion caused panic in the surrounding locality, shattering window panes and damaging air-conditioning units at the police outpost.

Following the incident, police teams, forensic experts, the bomb disposal squad and a dog squad were deployed at the site to examine the area and collect evidence.

Police said the cause and nature of the explosion remain unclear. Investigators are awaiting forensic reports before drawing any conclusions, while further details are awaited.

(With IANS inputs)