Rajasthan railway track blast: Woman, man with suspected Pakistan links arrested

A woman is among two people arrested in connection with the suspected blast on the Anupgarh-Suratgarh railway line in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district, with investigators suspecting that Pakistan-based handlers were involved in the incident, officials said on Sunday.

The accused have been identified as 21-year-old Mahakdeep Kaur and 22-year-old Davinder Singh, both residents of Gurdaspur in Punjab. They were arrested in a joint operation involving the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Sri Ganganagar Police and Punjab Police.

According to investigators, Kaur was allegedly in contact with two handlers based in Pakistan, identified by the names 'Chacha' and 'Shah'. Police said the handlers allegedly trapped her through romantic conversations and financial inducements, a method they said had been used in other suspected intelligence operations.

Investigators have reportedly found that Kaur received money to carry out the blast. She was living separately from her husband, who is currently in jail in connection with drug trafficking cases.

During the investigation, police recovered two weapons, 46 cartridges and Rs 30,000 from her possession. Three other individuals have also been taken into custody on suspicion of helping the accused by arranging accommodation, a motorcycle and transport to the site of the explosion.

Senior Police Officers Question Accused

Bikaner Inspector General of Police Om Prakash and Sri Ganganagar Superintendent of Police Harishankar are questioning the arrested suspects as investigators seek to establish the full sequence of events and identify others involved.

IPS officer Nitin Chaudhary, Circle Officer (City), Sri Ganganagar, is overseeing the investigation.

Police said the arrests followed an investigation by the district police, with inputs from security agencies and coordination with Punjab Police.

What Happened On November 3?

The blast took place at around 9.45 pm on November 3 near 50 GB village in the Ramsinghpur area of Sri Ganganagar district. The explosion damaged two cement railway sleepers supporting the tracks and created a crater approximately 2.5 feet deep.

An Anupgarh-Suratgarh passenger train had passed through the section around 75 minutes before the explosion, officials said.

Following the incident, railway authorities suspended train operations on the affected section as a precautionary measure, resulting in the cancellation of several trains. Services resumed on November 5 after repair work and safety inspections were completed, North Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Amit Sudarshan confirmed.

The Railways subsequently lodged a complaint against unidentified persons at Ramsinghpur police station, following which police registered a case and launched an investigation.

Earlier, Sri Ganganagar SP Harishankar had ruled out a connection between the blast and the 7.5 kg of RDX recently recovered in the border region.

"There is no connection with the seized RDX, till now," he had said.

Investigators are continuing to examine evidence collected from the site and question the suspects to establish the alleged role of each individual. Further details are awaited.

(With agencies' inputs)