Chandigarh, Jan. 24 -- In a suspected sabotage, a blast on a railway track in the dedicated freight corridor in Sirhind in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib district damaged the engine of a train and left a loco pilot injured, police said on Saturday.

While Deputy Inspector General of Police (Ropar Range) Nanak Singh said it was too early to say if it was a terror incident, an unverified statement attributed to a banned terrorist outfit, Khalistan Zindabad Force, appeared on social media in which it purportedly claimed responsibility for the blast that occurred at around 9.50 pm on Friday, ahead of the Republic Day.

"Last night, we received information that a minor blast took place here... The loco pilot sustained a minor cut on his cheek. He is out of danger," the DIG, who visited the site, said.

According to the police, the injured was identified as Anil Sharma, who works with the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation.

Fatehgarh Sahib's Senior Superintendent of Police Shubham Aggarwal said the affected train was on a footplate inspection and was coming from Gobindgarh towards Sirhind.

Following the blast, there was a crack in the rail track, he said. The engine's glass pane was damaged in the blast, he said, adding the rail track has now been repaired and is fully functional.

The explosion caused panic in the nearby village of Khanpur. "It was a loud sound, which was heard through the village," a resident said.

A case under Section 150 (maliciously wrecking or attempting to wreck a train) under the Railways Act has been registered in the matter, a Government Railway Police official said.

"Several investigation teams arrived here, and interagency coordination is taking place. We are also in touch with other agencies, which have sent their specialised teams. We are investigating it in a scientific manner. We will ensure those who are behind it are caught," the DIG said.

The incident occurred at a time when the police had made tight security arrangements in the wake of Republic Day on January 26.

Khalistan Zindabad Force, in an unverified statement, claimed it had carried out the blast and that it was only a "trailer".

"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.

When asked about the nature of the blast, DIG Singh said the investigation was at a preliminary stage. "Saying anything now will be premature," he said, describing it as a "minor blast" and "a criminal activity", which was "the handiwork of some miscreants".

Asked if there was a terror angle, Singh said it was too early to say.

"Who did it, why it was done and what was the motive would be known as the investigation progresses," he said, adding, "We will soon trace and arrest those who are behind it."

The police said a forensic team collected samples from the site for examination.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.