Panic gripped parts of Jalandhar on Tuesday after reports of an explosion in a parked scooter near the BSF Chowk area, close to the BSF headquarters. The entire area was put on alert after the incident as police personnels reached the spot. No casualties were reported in the incident.
Eyewitnesses said a loud blast-like sound was heard moments before the scooter went up in flames, causing chaos in the busy area. People nearby were seen running for safety as the fire spread quickly.
Police and fire brigade teams rushed to the spot soon after the incident was reported and began efforts to control the blaze. Officials later confirmed that no injuries or casualties have been reported.
The CCTV footage exclusively accessed by India Today of the blast shows a man running to take cover as the blast occurred.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said it was too early to draw conclusions. “Prima facie, the facts are that a scooter parked here caught fire. We are still verifying the situation on the ground,” she said.
She added that the scooter driver and another individual are being questioned, while CCTV footage from the area is being examined to determine the sequence of events.
According to PTI, the scooter rider has been identified as 22-year-old Gurpreet Singh. A relative told reporters that Gurpreet works as a delivery agent and visits the area daily to drop off parcels. On Tuesday evening, as he approached his parked scooter, it suddenly caught fire. He immediately called his father to inform him about the incident, the relative added.
The opposition parties have targeted the ruling AAP government over the incident.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring claimed that an “explosion” near the BSF headquarters in Jalandhar is deeply alarming.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on X
In an X post, he said, “A blast in a delivery scooter in a crowded area exposes a serious collapse of law and order. Punjab is a sensitive border state; such incidents raise grave national security concerns. Yet, while the AAP-led Punjab government is busy parading its MLAs before the President, the BJP-led Centre is equally distracted and failing in its responsibility to ensure security. People deserve safety, not political theatre.”
Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur, along with other senior officials, reached the spot to assess the situation.
A forensic team, along with dog and bomb squads, was also deployed at the site as part of the investigation.
Kaur said the man is fully cooperating with the probe and, according to his statement, the scooter caught fire suddenly.
Responding to questions about whether the incident could be part of a conspiracy, she said it was too early to draw any conclusions.
“We cannot confirm anything at the moment. We are investigating from all angles. If any new details emerge, we will share them,” she was quoted by PTI.
Authorities have not confirmed the nature of the explosion, and the exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
– Ends
Published By:
Zafar Zaidi
Published On:
May 6, 2026 03:40 IST
