Pramesh S Jain
In what could be dubbed as security breach the police found a bag with gelatine sticks abandoned along the PM conveoy route as Narendra Modi was in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Mr.Modi has come to attend the 45th anniversary celebrations of The Art of Living Foundation and the 70th birthday event of its founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar when a suspicious bag containing gelatin sticks was found near his convoy route on the outskirts of the city.
Senior officer told reporters that the suspicious bag was discovered near Thathaguni in Kaggalipura,close to the Art of Living Ashram.
Upon inspection,officials found gelatin sticks inside the bag,triggering a high alert in the area.
During investigation it is said that a man from Koramangala has been detained and is being questioned in connection with threatening calls made to the police control room.
The caller had allegedly threatened to trigger explosions near HAL and the Art of Living premises during the Prime Minister’s visit.
Following the alert,security agencies conducted intensive checks around both locations.
While nothing suspicious was found near HAL,alert police constables during area domination recovered gelatin sticks during searches in the Kaggalipura-Thathaguni estate stretch near the ashram.
Investigators suspect the gelatin sticks may have been discarded near a compound wall beside a bridge along the Prime Minister’s route.
Police sources said two gelatin sticks were recovered before the PM’s convoy movement.
During interrogation,the detained man,identified as Lohith,reportedly gave inconsistent statements,at times claiming he had worked with RAW, ISRO and even the British Empire.
Police believe he may be mentally unstable and said he had allegedly made similar hoax threat calls during previous VVIP visits to Bengaluru.
Preliminary investigation indicates the Koramangala suspect may only have made the threat calls and may not have physically visited Thathaguni.
However,Kaggalipura police are continuing a separate investigation to identify who left the gelatin sticks near the convoy route.
Security has since been intensified in and around the Art of Living Ashram and along the Prime Minister’s movement route.
The police along with the local administration also removed few roadside shops as security measures and added security cover .
