Pramesh S Jain
A suspicious bag containing gelatin sticks was found near the route scheduled for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Sunday, prompting a high alert and a joint investigation by city and Ramanagara police.
The gelatin sticks were discovered near Thathaguni in Kaggalipura,close to the route the Prime Minister was expected to travel while visiting the city for an event organised by The Art of Living Foundation.
According to police sources,the Anti-Sabotage Check (ASC) team detected two gelatin sticks around 10.30 am during routine road sanitisation and security checks ahead of the Prime Minister’s movement.
The explosives were reportedly found about 50 metres away from the roadside near a bridge compound wall outside the Art of Living Ashram area.
Senior officer said a man had earlier made threat calls to the police control room claiming explosions would take place near HAL and the Art of Living premises.
Following the alert,police teams launched immediate searches in both areas.
While nothing suspicious was found near HAL,the gelatin sticks were later recovered near Thathaguni during the inspection around the Ashram vicinity.
A 40-year-old man identified as Lohith was taken into custody from a house near Koramangala after police traced the threat call.
He is currently being questioned by officers from the Bengaluru City Police and Ramanagara district police.
Southeast Division DCP Mohammed Sujeetha said preliminary investigation suggests there is no direct link yet between the detained individual and the gelatin sticks found near Kaggalipura.
Police sources added that the man had allegedly made similar threat calls during previous VIP visits to the city and was earlier found to be mentally unstable.
Officials said the investigation is continuing to ascertain who placed the gelatin sticks and whether there was any larger conspiracy behind the incident.
Kaggalipura police have registered a case and intensified the probe alert constables who were doing area domination in the area with their timely action the anti sabotage team rushed to spot and recovered two gelatin sticks and averted the big mishap said DIG Central Range,Girish S,and SP Ramanagar,Srinivas Gowda.
