Chandigarh: A man was killed in a low-intensity blast reported on the Delhi-Rajpura railway track near Shambhu town in Punjab’s Patiala district, police said on Tuesday.  

The police believed the man who was trying to plant the bomb was killed when it exploded. His badly mutilated body, torn into pieces, was recovered near the site.

The incident was reported Monday night. Officials are probing whether it was an attempted sabotage or part of a larger conspiracy.

Forensic teams are now working to determine the exact nature of the explosion.

Deputy Inspector General Kuldeep Chahal and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varun Sharma reached the spot immediately after the blast.

“The body and circumstantial evidence suggest the accused may have died while trying to plant the bomb. The investigation is at a very preliminary stage,” an official said.

The blast damaged railway tracks near Shambhu, forcing the Indian Railways to stop train movement on the route as a precaution.

SSP Sharma said swift action prevented any untoward incident. “The area is secured, and an investigation is underway to identify those responsible,” he said, adding, “The individual involved in the attempt died at the scene, and the body was recovered. No loss of life or damage to property was reported.”

Former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal has condemned the incident by saying it was a serious intelligence failure that led to a cowardly blast attempt on the Delhi-Rajpura railway track near Shambhu.

“It is clear that no preventive action was taken despite a specific threat being received days earlier. This comes after multiple blasts on police stations and posts, and even an RPG attack on the state Intelligence headquarters,” Shiromani Akali Dal President Badal wrote on X.

“Punjab Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the Home Minister, must come out of his deep slumber and take urgent steps to secure vital infrastructure. His callous approach is pushing Punjab back into the old dark era, which is totally unacceptable,” he added.