Samba, Mar 23: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday reached the site of a mysterious blast at a residence in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district, as authorities initiated a high-level probe into the incident, officials said.
The development comes hours after a midnight explosion damaged the main gate and boundary wall of the house belonging to former sarpanch Jai Ram Sharma in Gawala Talab village of the Ghagwal sector.
The escalation of the probe to a central agency assumes significance given the location of the incident near the International Border and the unexplained nature of the blast.
Officials said NIA teams visited the site, examined the scene and began collecting evidence as part of the investigation.
Senior officers from local police and other security agencies are also part of the probe, they said.
The blast, which occurred around 2 am, caused structural damage to the entrance gate and a portion of the boundary wall but did not result in any casualties.
An FIR had been registered earlier by local police, and forensic teams had collected samples from the spot to determine the cause of the explosion.
With the NIA stepping in, the investigation is expected to focus on multiple angles, including the possibility of the use of an explosive device, officials said, adding that no conclusions have been drawn so far.
Locals in the area had reported hearing a loud explosion during the night, triggering panic in the otherwise quiet border village.
The Ghagwal sector in Samba district lies close to the International Border and is considered sensitive from a security perspective. [KNT]
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