2 groups claim responsibility for Nalagarh blast; HP police scans CCTV footage to nab accused

Shimla, Jan 2 (PTI) A day after a blast rocked Himachal Pradesh's Nalagarh, police on Friday said teams have been formed to scan CCTV footage, and forensic personnel have collected samples from the site.

A social media post, claiming to be that of the proscribed outfit Babbar Khalsa International and a little-known group, Punjab Sovereignty Alliance, have claimed responsibility for the explosion.

The post claimed that an improvised explosive device was used for the blast, and it was in retaliation for the Himachal Pradesh police "not taking action against smuggling of synthetic drugs manufactured in Himachal Pradesh into Punjab".

It warned that if no action is taken in the matter, "IEDs would be planted in vehicles and headquarters of the police administration".

Police have not yet commented on the post.

Instead, in a statement issued here on Friday evening, police said a Forensic Science Laboratory team was called to the spot, which collected necessary samples.

Teams have been constituted to scan CCTV footage, and the police are coordinating with the Punjab Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for the probe.

Several Nalagarh residents woke up in the new year to the sound of a blast that took place near a police station in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district on Thursday.

The impact of the blast that occurred in a lane near the Nalagarh police station was so strong that the windows of nearby buildings, including those of an Army canteen 40 metres away, cracked. The loud sound of it was heard from a distance of up to 400-500 metres, locals said.

A case has been registered at Nalagarh Police Station under BNS Sections 324(4) (mischief) and 125 (act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life) and the Explosive Substances Act.

Neighbouring Punjab have been witness to similar attacks targeting police stations, with the state's DGP accusing Pakistan of attempting to disturb peace and claiming that the masterminds of such attacks were operating from North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and Gulf countries. PTI BPL NSD NSD