Daijiworld Media Network - Sri Ganganagar
Sri Ganganagar, Nov 15: Two persons, including a woman, have been arrested in connection with the blast on the Anupgarh-Suratgarh railway line near 50 GB village in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district, police said.
The arrested accused have been identified as Devendra Singh and Mahakdeep Kaur, both residents of Gurdaspur in Punjab. They were apprehended in a joint operation conducted by the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Rajasthan Police and Gurdaspur Police. The duo has been brought to Rajasthan for further questioning.
According to investigators, the blast, which occurred on November 3, was allegedly part of a conspiracy to target a passenger train. Police suspect that Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was behind the plot.
Investigators claim that a Pakistan-based handler identified as 'Shah' had allegedly assigned the task of carrying out the explosion to the two accused. The duo is suspected of planting an improvised explosive device (IED) on the railway track on the handler's instructions.
However, the plan reportedly failed to achieve its intended objective as the passenger train had crossed the spot before the explosion occurred. No passengers were injured, and a major tragedy was averted.
During the investigation, police also found that money had allegedly been transferred from Pakistan to a bank account belonging to Mahakdeep Kaur. Investigators further suspect that weapons were supplied to the accused from across the border.
Police have recovered two pistols and 46 cartridges from the arrested persons. Security agencies are now examining the alleged financial transactions and the supply of weapons to establish the extent of the network.
Following the arrests, investigators have launched a search for other suspected members of the alleged conspiracy. Several individuals suspected of assisting the accused have reportedly been detained and are being questioned.
The agencies are also investigating how the accused allegedly received instructions from Pakistan and whether more people were involved in planning and executing the blast. Further arrests are expected as the investigation progresses.