On Friday (June 25), Rana Pratapnagar police recovered 8 tonnes of explosives from an abandoned truck at Chhatrapati Square in Nagpur.
As per reports, the vehicle was loaded with an ‘explosive’ consignment from Secunderabad in Telangana. The truck, bearing the number plate of Tamil Nadu, was heading to Raipur in Chattisgarh, West Bengal via Singroli in Madhya Pradesh. The consignment was to be delivered to a coal mine. However, the truck broke down near the newly constructed-double decker metro bridge in Chattrapati Square.
The driver, identified as one Dharmendra Pal, went out in search of a mechanic to repair the vehicle. However, instead of finding the mechanic, he started drinking alcohol. As such, the explosive-laden truck remained unattended. The city police found the vehicle, with the word ‘explosives’ written on its rear side. The Rana Pratapnagar police rushed to the spot but did not find anyone inside.
The officials then summoned the bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) and alerted the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Reportedly, the police got in touch with the consignor and the consignee, based on the documents found inside the truck. They shared the driver’s details and the cops called Dharmendra Pal soon after. He explained the chain of events but soon switched off his phone. This raised suspicion of the cops.
Later, the driver showed up with a mechanic. The cops got the truck repaired and towed it to the Sonegaon police station. The ordeal lasted for about four hours and created a state of panic among the police and security officials. The police then booked Dharmendra Pal for abandoning the explosive-laden vehicle.
While speaking about the matter, senior police inspector Dinkar Thossar informed, “We have verified the consignments to be bonafide. The consignor was being summoned as the truck was being driven by a driver who was not accompanied by a cleaner or helper, which is dangerous and he was also found consuming liquor after leaving the truck on road.”
Twin blasts inside Jammu airbase
In an unrelated incident, averting a major terrorist attack, the Jammu Police on Saturday (June 26) nabbed two terrorists with arms, ammunition, and explosive materials from near the Wave Mall situated on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. As per reports, the Jammu Police had received specific inputs about the presence of two terrorists on the outskirts of the city.
Reportedly, the two had been carrying out a recce of prominent locations before carrying out a terror strike. Out of the two, one 20-year-old terrorist in possession of 5kgs of IED was arrested by the police. An investigation is underway to ascertain whether their other accomplices have managed to enter the city. Search raids were later conducted across the city. Indian Air Force on Sunday tweeted that two low-intensity explosions took place in the technical area of Jammu Air Force Station.
The blasts took place at around 1:42 AM on Sunday and were so powerful they could be heard till 1 km distance. One explosion caused minor damage to the roof of a building while the other took place in an open area. A team of forensic experts and Bomb Disposal Squad reached the explosion site to determine the cause of the blast. No injuries or casualties have been reported due to the blast. The area was cordoned off and a probe was initiated.
