Bhubaneswar: The Mancheswar Police on Sunday detained five persons in connection with the suspected bomb blast near Kendriya Vidyalaya-3 (KV-3) in the Odisha Capital on Thursday morning.
According to sources, the suspects are being interrogated based on CCTV footage and information provided by some residents.
The explosion occurred around 8 am outside the schoo
l, raising concerns as President Droupadi Murmu was in the city. Although the blast, prima facie, appeared to have been caused by an ordinary firecracker (sutli bomb), police stated that it could be a deliberate act of mischief by miscreants, and an investigation was accordingly being carried out from all possible angles. Remains of the cracker, including gunpowder, jute twine threads, and torn papers, were also seized from the spot for forensic analysis.
The police team is being assisted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) amid high alert sounded across the country following the Delhi blast.
Commissioner of Police S Dev Datta Singh had, however, earlier ruled out any terror-related angle in the inciddent.