Bag With Explosives Found in APSRTC Bus
A preliminary inquiry indicated that the bags may have been mixed up as they were of the same size and colour and had been placed next to each other.
Vijayawada: A luggage bag containing 49 slurry sticks of ammonium nitrate and 50 detonators was found in an APSRTC bus at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Bus Station here late Monday night, creating panic among passengers.
According to Krishna Lanka police, daily wage worker Asif Ali, a native of Uttar Pradesh, worked at a loom in Narasaraopeta in Palnadu district. He had taken leave for two months and was returning to his native village after taking his wage dues from his owner.
Asif boarded an RTC bus at Narasaraopeta and reached Vijayawada, where he was to board a train to Delhi on Monday night. At about 11.30 pm, he found that his luggage bag was missing and a similar bag was lying at the same place. After opening it, he found explosives inside and alerted the police at the bus station outpost.
Police inspected the bag and called the bomb disposal squad. The squad found that the material was used for detonating rocks in quarry mining areas and secured it.
Based on a complaint lodged by Asif Ali, police registered a case and began an investigation.
A preliminary inquiry indicated that the bags may have been mixed up as they were of the same size and colour and had been placed next to each other.
The passenger carrying the explosives may have picked up Asif's bag by mistake while getting down from the bus.
Police also conducted a search operation at the bus station, checked CCTV footage and reportedly obtained a clue about the suspect.
Vijayawada south zone ACP, Dr K. Manasa, said, “We are focussing more on how this transportation of explosives in the bus happened. We will also find out the source.”
Krishna Lanka police said the seized explosives were used for quarry mining to detonate rocks. They suspect the passenger may have been carrying them in loose quantities with the intention of selling them to contractors who engage workers for blasting rocks in the hills.
Police said anyone intending to possess or transport the explosives must have a valid licence and that carrying them on public transport was illegal.
