NIA probing Nalagarh blast says Himachal Pradesh CM BJP claims collapse of law and order

    Shimla, Jan 3 (PTI) The NIA is investigating the Nalagarh bomb blast in Solan district, and details of the perpetrators of the explosion would come to light once the agency submits its report, said Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday.
    Talking to the mediapersons in Solan district, he said state forensic experts have taken samples from the blast site, and CCTV footage was being scanned.
    The Himachal Pradesh police, along with its Punjab counterpart, is also probing the blast, he said, adding the case is being investigated from all angles.
    "Since the matter is under investigation, anything about the perpetrators of the explosion can be revealed only after the NIA submits its report," the chief minister said after laying the foundation stone of the Centre of Excellence for differently-abled in Kandaghat.
    The opposition BJP hit out at the Congress government in the state over the blast, alleging a collapse of law and order. It accused the Sukhu dispensation of failing to maintain peace.
    Senior BJP leader and former minister Rajiv Sehjal raised questions about DSP Bhishma Thakur's posting in Nalagarh. He pointed out that the DSP was set to retire in 2024, but got a two-year extension.
    Sehjal alleged that the DSP, considered close to the chief minister's cabinet, is often on leave, which is affecting departmental work while the law-and-order situation in the area was worsening.
    "When so many qualified, young, and active officers are available in the state, why is a retired officer being kept in such a sensitive area with political patronage?" the BJP leader asked.
    Several Nalagarh residents woke up on January 1 to the sound of the blast near a police station in Nalagarh in Solan district. However, no casualty or injury was reported.
    The impact of the blast that occurred in a lane was so strong that the windows of nearby buildings, including those of an Army canteen 40 metres away, cracked. The loud sound of the blast was heard from a distance of up to 400-500 metres, locals said.
    Babbar Khalsa International and Punjab Sovereignty Alliance, in a social media post that is yet to be verified, 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."
    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, the police had said.
    Neighbouring Punjab have been witnessing 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.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)