The Bollarum police in Hyderabad recovered 160 electric detonators stuffed in a plastic bucket at a private venture close to the firing range of the Madras Regiment area in the Secunderabad Cantonment, officials said on Thursday. This comes three days after weapons and ammunition were stolen from the cantonment.
North Zone deputy commissioner of police Ch Sridhar told reporters that the detonators were found in Golf Enclave private venture while checks were being carried out in the surrounding areas as part of investigation into the arms theft case at the regiment.
The private venture was close to the cantonment but was not part of any Army area. “The detonators are suspected to be used by land or plot developers and kept there long ago,” he said.
Police registers case against detonator placement
Sridhar, however, said the Bollarum police registered a case under the Explosive Substances Act and launched an investigation to determine who placed the detonators at the location, when they were brought there and for what purpose.
According to another police officer, an Army Subedar had alerted the Bollaram police late on Wednesday after the detonators were noticed in an abandoned light-green plastic bucket in the private venture behind the firing range.
Police and Army personnel subsequently alerted the bomb disposal squad, which examined and seized the detonators. Preliminary findings showed that the 160 electrical detonators had been arranged in eight bundles of 20 each. “The police immediately seized the detonators with the help of a bomb disposal squad. We are trying to find out the source of the detonators,” the officer said.
The bomb disposal squad has inspected the scene, while police are continuing searches in the surrounding areas and attempting to establish the source and intended use of the detonators. Further probe is under way.
On August 31, an officer of the regiment lodged a complaint with the Bollaram police stating that four AK-203 assault rifles, one INSAS rifle, seven pistols, a night-vision binocular and more than 1,900 rounds of live ammunition had been stolen from the armoury late on Sunday.
A burglary case was registered following the complaint, and a multi-agency investigation was launched to trace the missing weapons and ammunition.
