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Jaunpur train bombing

A bomb hidden in a train toilet killed 13 people and injured about 50 aboard the Shramjeevi Express near Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, on 28 July 2005; two Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami operatives were sentenced to death in January 2024.

SOLVED2005

Near Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On 28 July 2005, an explosion destroyed a carriage of the Shramjeevi Express train as it travelled between Jaunpur and Delhi in Uttar Pradesh, India. The blast occurred at approximately 5:15 pm and was traced to a bomb placed in a carriage toilet, using the military-grade explosive RDX. The train's crew managed to halt the engine quickly, which prevented the train from derailing after the explosion. Passengers and local residents assisted the wounded while emergency services worked to extinguish the burning carriage.

Thirteen people were killed in the blast or died later from their injuries. A further 50 people required medical treatment, with several undergoing amputations as a result of their injuries. RDX, the explosive used in the bombing, had previously been used in other attacks on Indian targets, including the Ayodhya train bombing in June 2000.

Eyewitnesses reported that two young men had boarded the train at Jaunpur carrying a white suitcase. Shortly after boarding, both men leaped from the moving train into nearby fields without their suitcase. A few minutes later, the carriage was struck by the explosion.

Investigating officials concluded that an accidental explosion was highly unlikely and attributed the attack to Islamist extremists. In January 2024, nearly two decades after the bombing, two operatives of the militant organization Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami were sentenced to death for carrying out the attack. According to the available account, the organizer of the attack was a man from Bangladesh, who was assisted by a man from West Bengal, India.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
2005
Location
Near Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2000-06

    The Ayodhya train bombing, an earlier RDX attack on an Indian target, is referenced as prior precedent for the type of explosive used.

  2. 2005-07-28

    An explosion caused by an RDX bomb hidden in a toilet destroys a carriage of the Shramjeevi Express near Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, at approximately 5:15 pm, killing 13 people and injuring about 50.

  3. 2024-01

    Two operatives of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami are sentenced to death for carrying out the bombing.

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People

  • Unnamed operative 1

    CONVICTED

    Operative of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami sentenced to death in January 2024 for perpetrating the bombing; name not specified in available source material.

  • Unnamed operative 2

    CONVICTED

    Operative of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami sentenced to death in January 2024 for perpetrating the bombing; name not specified in available source material.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Near Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

25.7539, 82.6634

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A bomb hidden in a train toilet killed 13 people and injured about 50 aboard the Shramjeevi Express near Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, on 28 July 2005; two Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami operatives were sentenced to death in January 2024.
Where did the bombing happen?
Near Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Who was convicted?
Unnamed operative 1 (Operative of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami sentenced to death in January 2024 for perpetrating the bombing; name not specified in available source material.) and Unnamed operative 2 (Operative of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami sentenced to death in January 2024 for perpetrating the bombing; name not specified in available source material.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in India

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICJaunpur train bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — indianexpress.comindianexpress.com · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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