Jalandhar scooter fire near BSF Chowk prompts police probe into blast-like sound claims

A scooter parked near BSF Chowk in Jalandhar caught fire on Tuesday evening, prompting panic among residents who reported a blast-like sound. Jalandhar Police say no one was injured and the area has been cordoned off while investigators verify how the vehicle caught fire and assess the claims.

A parked scooter near BSF Chowk in Punjab’s Jalandhar district caught fire on Tuesday evening. The incident triggered panic in the area, police said. Some local residents reported hearing a sound like a blast from the vehicle. Police said nobody was injured and the area was cordoned off.

The fire broke out at about 8 pm outside the Border Security Forces Punjab Frontier headquarters. The site lies on a road linking the main city to the Amritsar-Delhi highway. Police said the cause of the fire was not yet clear. Opposition parties also criticised the AAP government over the incident.

Jalandhar scooter fire near BSF Chowk: Police investigation underway

Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said early information pointed to a vehicle fire. "Prima facie, the facts are that an Activa scooter parked here Jalandhar caught fire. We are still verifying the facts on the ground,\" Kaur said. A police patrol team was present nearby at the time.

Kaur said investigators had not confirmed any explosion. Replying to a question, Kaur said it was too early to say a blast had happened. Kaur added that police were checking what happened on the ground. Kaur later visited the site with other senior officers to review the situation.

A 22-year-old man, Gurpreet Singh, was identified as the rider of the scooter. One of Gurpreet’s relatives told reporters that Gurpreet delivered parcels in the area daily. The relative said that Gurpreet noticed the fire while approaching the parked scooter. Gurpreet then called Gurpreet’s father and shared details.

Jalandhar scooter fire near BSF Chowk: Forensic, dog and bomb squads deployed

Police called in specialist teams after the fire. A forensic team, a dog squad and a bomb squad reached the spot. Kaur said Gurpreet was cooperating with the probe. Kaur also said Gurpreet told police the vehicle caught fire suddenly. Police said they were still trying to establish the exact cause.

Police said they were examining the possibility of any foul play. When asked about a conspiracy angle, Kaur said it was too early to comment. \"We cannot confirm anything at the moment. We are investigating from all angles. If new details emerge, we will share them,\" Kaur said.

Some residents continued to speak of a loud sound before the fire. One local person described what was heard near a barrier. \"I was standing near a barrier when I heard a loud sound,\" the local said. Police have not confirmed whether the sound was linked to any blast.

Jalandhar scooter fire near BSF Chowk: Opposition attacks AAP government

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring called the incident worrying in an X post. \"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.\"

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also questioned the state’s security situation. Majithia asked if law and order in a border state had collapsed. \"From the Shambhu railway track to the busy BSF Chowk in Jalandhar, continuous blasts within a week -- has Punjabs security completely failed?\" Majithia said.

Police said the cordon remained in place while teams checked the area and examined the scooter. Officials said no one was hurt and that key details were still being verified. Police said they would share updates if the investigation produced fresh findings.

With inputs from PTI