A suspected act of sabotage damaged a freight train engine and injured its driver after a blast struck a railway track on a dedicated freight corridor
in Punjab, just days before Republic Day celebrations. An unverified statement attributed to the banned Khalistan Zindabad Force later surfaced on social media, claiming responsibility and calling the explosion a “trailer.” The blast took place around 9:50 PM Friday near Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib district as the train was undergoing a footplate inspection, police said. The explosion cracked the rail track and shattered a glass pane of the engine. The injured locomotive pilot, identified as Anil Sharma, suffered a minor cut on his cheek and was taken to hospital. “He is out of danger,” said Deputy Inspector General of Police Nanak Singh, who visited the site on Saturday.
Singh said it was too early to determine whether the blast was a terrorist attack. “Saying anything now will be premature,” he said, describing the incident as a “minor blast” and a “criminal activity” carried out by miscreants.
Fatehgarh Sahib Senior Superintendent of Police Shubham Aggarwal said the train was travelling from Gobindgarh toward Sirhind when the explosion took place. He said the damaged section of track has since been repaired and rail traffic restored.
Residents of nearby Khanpur village reported hearing a loud explosion that triggered panic in the area.
Government Railway Police registered a case under provisions of the Railways Act related to damaging or attempting to wreck a train. Multiple investigation teams, including forensic experts, were deployed to the site to collect samples and examine evidence.
“We are investigating it in a scientific manner,” Singh said. “Interagency coordination is taking place, and specialised teams from other agencies have arrived. We will ensure those responsible are identified and arrested.”
The incident came amid heightened security across Punjab ahead of Republic Day on January 26, when authorities typically tighten surveillance and patrols.
In an unverified statement circulated online, the Khalistan Zindabad Force claimed it carried out the blast and said it was only a “trailer,” adding that a passenger train could also have been targeted. The group said it did not intend to cause harm and claimed its campaign for Khalistan would continue.
"We want to tell you that this blast could have been done in a passenger train as well, but our intention was not to cause any undue harm to anyone. This was a trailer... the war for Khalistan is still going on and will continue," the statement said.
