Rocket shell defused near Ladhowal in Ludhiana

With Ludhiana being the industrial hub of the state, chances of live ammunition, such as rocket shells, entering the city mixed with scrap are very high.

A day after a rocket shell was recovered from a park in Sarabha Nagar, the bomb squad defused the explosive in an isolated area in Ladhowal near the Sutlej River on Friday morning.

In the past, live shells have been recovered from canals, sewerage and vacant plots in Ludhiana. (Representative Image/HT File)

That an explosive was found in a posh city area has cops puzzled. Such explosives have been detected earlier too, but from Focal Point or rural areas. Officials suspect that the rocket shell could have reached the park with scrap brought from the canal. “It is possible that an industrialist may have imported it and then disposed it of in the canal. Those scouting the river for coins after Chhath Puja may have found the shell and dumped it in the park,” he said.

Joint commissioner of police (JCP) J Elanchezhian said, “The bomb squad of the Punjab Police is well-trained and equipped. The team defused the shell with the help of a controlled explosion.”

“We are still investigating the matter to determine how the shell reached the residential area. We are also scanning CCTV footage,”said the JCP.

With Ludhiana being the industrial hub of the state, chances of live ammunition entering the city mixed with scrap are very high. The city frequently imports scrap from Bay Countries - Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra.

In the past, live shells have been recovered from canals, sewerage and vacant plots. Besides, the city was the epicentre of terrorist activity during the militancy, which has also led to recovery of weapons years later.