Police in Rajasthan are analysing mobile tower location data and questioning suspects after an explosion damaged railway tracks near Ramsinghpur in Sriganganagar district on Tuesday night, while investigators have ruled out their initial suspicion that an improvised explosive device was used.
The blast occurred at about 9.45 pm and damaged the track, shattering two concrete-and-steel sleepers and leaving a crater approximately 2.5 feet deep. The Anupgarh-Suratgarh passenger train had passed through the affected stretch around 75 minutes earlier.
Investigators have collected mobile phone data from devices that were active near the site around the time of the explosion. Police are examining the information to identify people who may have been present in the area and assess whether any of them could be linked to the incident.
Several suspects have been questioned, but police have not identified anyone as responsible for the blast. The investigation has also not established the cause of the explosion or a possible motive.
The initial examination of the damaged tracks led investigators to suspect that an IED may have been used. Subsequent findings, however, did not support that theory. Police are now examining other possible causes while continuing to investigate whether the damage was the result of deliberate sabotage.
Forensic examination of samples collected from the impact site is expected to help establish the nature of the material that triggered the explosion. The results could determine whether the blast involved an explosive substance or another source of force.
The incident has placed the focus on the vulnerability of railway infrastructure outside major stations, where tracks extend through relatively isolated stretches and must be monitored for both operational and security risks. In this case, the damage occurred close enough to a railway route to raise a serious safety concern, although the supplied report does not indicate whether train services were suspended, diverted or otherwise affected after the incident.
Police sources said sabotage remained one possible line of investigation, but stressed that there was no conclusive evidence yet to establish who was responsible or what motivated the blast. The immediate investigative priority is to combine the mobile tower data with forensic findings and questioning of suspects.
The next significant step will be the forensic assessment of samples recovered from the impact site, after which investigators are expected to determine the material involved and refine the direction of the probe.
