Bathinda, Sept 12 — A 19-year-old law student and his father sustained serious injuries after two powerful blasts tore through their home in Jeeda village on the outskirts of Bathinda city. Police suspect the explosions, which occurred on Wednesday but came to light a day later, were triggered by picric acid, a highly volatile chemical compound. The exact nature of the explosive and the motive behind its storage inside the house remain under investigation.
The injured were identified as Gurpreet Singh, a student of a private law college, and his father Jagtar Singh, a farmer. Police said the blasts were not reported by the family or neighbours but came to their notice when the management of a private hospital informed them about two patients with severe blast injuries.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amneet Kondal said preliminary investigation suggested that the explosive material might have been sourced online. “We are working to find out why such a substance was kept in the house. A case has been directed to be registered at Nehianwala police station,” she said.
Ballistics experts confirmed that a high-intensity explosive was involved, though no traces of shrapnel were found at the scene. The impact of the blasts shattered windowpanes across the house and damaged household items in the room where the material was stored.
According to officials, Gurpreet sustained injuries in the first blast on Wednesday morning, while his father was badly hurt in a second explosion later that evening. Doctors treating them said both are out of danger but require surgery. Gurpreet’s arm may need amputation, while Jagtar suffered severe damage to his eyes.
Investigators scanned Gurpreet’s mobile phone and reportedly found videos related to picric acid, pointing to possible links with a Jodhpur-based chemical manufacturer. Officials said Gurpreet had recently sold his old handset, and efforts are underway to retrieve its data.
“No one from the family or the village informed the police about the explosions. Our teams were alerted only by the hospital,” SSP Kondal added. Bomb disposal squads and ballistics experts later secured and cleared the site.
The mysterious circumstances around the blasts — including the possession of a rare, unstable compound like picric acid — have left investigators probing whether the material was being experimented with, hoarded for sale, or kept with some other intent.
