An explosion outside the Border Security Force (BSF) Headquarters in Jalandhar was reported on the evening of May 5 which is now being treated as a case involving explosives with police confirming a major breakthrough based on forensic findings and this latest update came from Jalandhar Commissioner of Police (CP) Dhanpreet Kaur who shared key details of the ongoing investigation with the media.
According to the CP the police were first informed around 8 pm that a scooter had caught fire near the BSF Headquarters in the Guru Nanakpura area and initially it was suspected that the incident may have been due to a technical issue with the vehicle however after a detailed inspection and forensic examination authorities now believe that an explosive substance was used which led to the blast.
She stated that the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team collected samples from the spot and initial findings indicate the presence of explosive material and these samples have been sent for further testing to confirm the exact nature of the substance used while based on this an FIR has been registered and the case is now being investigated as a deliberate explosion.
The CP also revealed that technical teams are actively tracking CCTV footage from nearby areas to understand the sequence of events and confirmed that police have identified “3 to 4 strong leads” and are currently working on them however she avoided sharing specific details calling the information “very preliminary” and said more will be disclosed once the investigation progresses further.
As per sources the blast took place around 7:55 pm near the main gate of the BSF complex and eyewitnesses reported that a scooter believed to be an Activa was parked near the entrance and caught fire before the explosion and some locals also claimed that a man was seen leaving a packet near the vehicle earlier in the evening though police have not yet confirmed this angle.
Fortunately no injuries or casualties have been reported and the blast took place in a busy area near BSF Chowk and close to a police booth but at that exact moment there were fewer people around which may have prevented a major tragedy meanwhile investigators are also examining a viral social media post by a group calling itself the Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) which has claimed responsibility for the attack and the post mentions an alleged IED attack and includes threats but officials have not verified its authenticity and are treating it as part of the investigation.
Security has been tightened across Jalandhar and all sensitive locations are under close watch and sources also suggest that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) may soon join the probe which could take the investigation further and police have also assured that all angles are being carefully examined and more details will be shared as the investigation moves forward.
