New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made three more arrests in the investigation into the IED blast at Nalagarh Police Station in Himachal Pradesh, taking the total number of accused arrested in the case to six.
The explosion occurred at around 9:40 am on January 1, 2026, near the outer wall of the police station, adjoining the room used by the Investigating Officer.
The matter was initially investigated by Himachal Pradesh Police after FIR No. 02/2026 was registered at Nalagarh Police Station. The NIA later took over the probe and registered the case afresh on May 8, 2026, as RC-27/2026/NIA/DLI.
The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Three New Names Added to Case
The latest arrests were made after the agency allegedly established the involvement of three more individuals.
Those arrested have been identified as Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Kandola, a resident of Rahon in Punjab’s SBS Nagar district; Karanpartap, also from Rahon; and Diljot Saini, a resident of the Rahon area.
The NIA said all three were already in custody in another case. They had been arrested in connection with FIR No. 11/2026 registered at Rahon Police Station in Punjab before being taken into custody by the central agency in the Nalagarh blast investigation.
Earlier Arrests Took Total to Three
Before the latest action, the NIA had arrested Mahavir Kumar alias Kaka, Ajay Mehra and Manpreet Singh alias Mani in the case.
These accused were initially arrested by Punjab Police in connection with FIR No. 02/2026 registered by the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Mohali. Their arrests were subsequently followed by action from the NIA in the Nalagarh investigation.
The latest arrests have therefore taken the number of accused arrested by the agency in the case to six.
Agency Probes Wider Conspiracy
The NIA said the investigation is aimed at uncovering the larger conspiracy allegedly linked to the attack. Investigators are examining the individual roles of those arrested and attempting to establish their connections with other suspected members of the network.
The agency is also working to identify any additional persons who may have played a role in planning or executing the incident and to determine the extent of the alleged criminal network.
The investigation remains in progress, with the NIA continuing to examine the available evidence and alleged linkages surrounding the Nalagarh Police Station IED blast.
