I-Day eve scare in TN: two pipe bombs recovered in Tiruppur

Just as security across Tamil Nadu has been beefed up to a new high on Independence Day eve, two 'pipe bombs' recovered in the hosiery exports town of Tiruppur , about 400 km west of here, has put police on extra guard. MR Venkatesh reports.

Just as security across Tamil Nadu has been beefed up to a new high on Independence Day eve, two “pipe bombs” recovered in the hosiery exports town of Tiruppur , about 400 km west of Chennai, has put police on extra guard.

HT Image

Explosive substances packed in two ‘PVC pipes’ which if detonated could cause damage up to half-a-kilo metre, was found kept in a box and dumped in a garbage heap at ‘MS Nagar’ in Tiruppur town on Thursday, police disclosed.

This was possibly aimed at creating “some disturbance” on I-Day as the collectorate at Tiruppur, the headquarters of the recently carved out district in the State, will be hoisting the National flag as a new district for the first time on Saturday, police sources told HT over the telephone.

One of the residents of the locality, spotting something suspicious amid the garbage quickly informed the Police who rushed with the bomb disposal squad and later deactivated both the improvised devices in an open maidan nearby, sources said.

Though no arrests have been made so far, police said some suspects in the area have been taken in for questioning and all possible angles including “possible connection” with any terror group in Mumbai were being probed.

The seriousness of the development was evidenced by the fact that the Coimbatore Range DIG, Ms Balanagadevi, rushed to Tiruppur on Saturday and held meetings with the Police personnel there on the security arrangements and on this pipe bombs seizure.

In Chennai, nearly 10,000 police personnel have been mobilized for I-Day security arrangements amid the Fort St George, the seat of Government in Chennai. Fortified by police and para-military forces.

Initially, there was some expectation that the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr MK Stalin would hoist the National tricolour from the ramparts of the Fort St George on Saturday, but it has now been officially clarified that the Chief Minister, Mr M Karunanidhi himself would perform the constitutional duty of flag hoisting as usual here tomorrow, despite his health limitations.