Almora: The police in Almora, Uttarakhand, went on high alert after nearly 20 kg of explosive material was recovered near a school in the Dabara village.
This recovery comes days after the Delhi car blast that killed 15 people on November 10 and the seizure of nearly 3,000 kg of explosives from Faridabad in Haryana.
The Faridabad seizure blew the cover of a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) “white collar” terror module, involving doctors. The car that exploded in Delhi was also being driven by a doctor, Umar Nabi.
Authorities in Uttarakhand are now trying to ascertain whether there is any link between the terror module and the explosives found near the school.
According to officials, 161 gelatin sticks, weighing over 20 kg, were recovered from bushes close to the Government Higher Secondary School in the Sult area.
School principal Subhash Singh was the first to spot the suspicious packets in the bushes. He immediately alerted the police and the area was cordoned off by two police teams that rushed to the spot.
Bomb Detection and disposal squads and canine units were called in from Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital. The dog squad located multiple packets scattered around the area, some lying nearly 20 feet apart.
The bomb squad secured the explosives and moved them to a safe location. Forensics experts have also reached the spot to collect samples.
“Police teams and the bomb disposal squad carried out a detailed inspection. Searches have been intensified in the surrounding areas,” Senior Superintendent of Police Devendra Pincha said.
A case has been registered against unidentified persons under Section 4(a) of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, and Section 288 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). Four teams have been constituted to probe the matter further, the SSP said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the Fridabad terror module, has also been informed. The module had planned blasts across the country.
Gelatin sticks are commonly used for blasting during quarrying, mining and construction work. How they turned up near the school remains a mystery till now. Foul play is being suspected and people in the neighborhood are being questioned.
