Teenager, father injured after twin explosions in their home in Bathinda

Chandigarh, Sep 12 (PTI) A 19-year-old youth from a village in Bathinda, who used to watch radicalised content online, was injured when he was assembling some combustible chemical material in his home, police said on Friday.

The injured youth has been identified as a 19-year-old Gurpreet Singh, a law student in Bathinda. After being injured on Wednesday, he was rushed to a private hospital in Bathinda by his family, including his father.

Later, during the day, when his father returned and was clearing up the chemicals, it led to another explosion, leaving him injured, according to Bathinda police.

The youth used to watch radicalised content online, Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amneet Kondal told reporters in Bathinda on Friday.

Sources said that multiple agencies were now involved in the probe into the incident.

The youth was injured in the incident in his home in Jeeda village in Bathinda. He had sourced some chemicals online.

The police said they later received information from the hospital authorities, where the injured were taken, saying they suspected the injuries suffered could be a result of an explosion.

The window panes of the house broke due to the impact of the blasts while household items also suffered damage.

SSP Kondal said, "Gurpreet Singh used to watch radicalised content online. He also used to watch videos pertaining to chemical combinations of explosive material. He ordered some combustible substances online.

"While he was trying to handle these materials and prepare some kind of explosive after watching those videos, it resulted in a blast in which Gurpreet suffered injuries, including on his hand, leg and burn injuries." Forensic teams reached the incident spot along with a bomb disposal squad. The area was cordoned off after the police received information about the incident, she said, adding that samples were collected from the spot.

During the preliminary probe, it has come to fore that Gurpreet used to spend a lot of time on his mobile phone watching radicalised content, the SSP said.

Asked if Gurpreet could have been in contact with some elements in Pakistan, the SSP said, "There is no doubt that he watched radicalised videos and was highly influenced, but whether he was in contact or not will be known during the investigations." SSP Kondal said a case has been registered under the Explosive Substances Act and investigations are ongoing.

Asked whether Gurpreet had booked a train ticket for Jammu this week, she said, "This is a matter of investigation." Replying to a question, she said the police were sharing relevant information with other agencies as part of the probe.

She said that Gurpreet's mobile phone has been sent for forensic analysis and his financial trails are also being probed. PTI SUN KSS KSS