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Bomb-like object at hospital had no explosives: Pune police chief
Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Friday said that the bomb-like object found at Usha Kiran Hospital in Hadapsar did not contain any explosives
PUNE: Pune Police commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Friday said that the bomb-like object found at the Usha Kiran Hospital in Hadapsar did not contain any explosives. Preliminary investigation suggests that the accused allegedly created the object after watching videos on YouTube and may have tried to threaten the hospital to extort money after receiving a huge medical treatment bill. Police have ruled out any terror angle in the case.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested the accused, identified as Shivaji Rathod (30), from Nagpur railway station. He is a resident of Manjari in Pune and originally hails from Solapur district. Police said he runs a footwear shop in Manjari.
The police commissioner said that throughout Thursday, police teams examined CCTV footage and conducted technical analysis. Around 15 to 17 relatives, friends and close contacts of the accused were questioned at different locations, including Kalepadal, Hadapsar and Manjari. During the investigation, police searched the accused’s house and shop, where they found a digital clock kit that had been ordered online and allegedly used to make the bomb-like object.
Police later traced Rathod’s movement and found that he had boarded a train heading towards Nagpur. Akola police were alerted, and an attempt was made to catch him at Murtizapur railway station, but the train had already left. Finally, an ATS team detained him at Nagpur railway station.
Police said the accused will be brought to Pune for further questioning, after which his exact motive will become clear. They also said that after the object was defused, its parts and soil samples from the spot were sent to a forensic laboratory for further examination, which confirmed the absence of any explosive material.
Meanwhile, surveillance around major hospitals and public spaces in Pune has been intensified as a precautionary measure.
On Wednesday evening, a doctor at Usha Kiran Hospital in the Hadapsar area noticed a suspicious object near an ICU washroom.
The device was described as a digital clock-like attachment with visible wiring and components, and low-grade explosives, as later confirmed by investigators.
The hospital staff immediately alerted the police control room, triggering an emergency evacuation and a large-scale security response.
Pune City Police Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) recovered the device from the hospital premises, transported it to a secure, open location and successfully defused it.
Pune City police on Thursday registered a case at the Hadapsar Police Station under sections 109 (attempt to murder), 125 (rash and negligent act endangering human life) and 288 (negligent conduct with explosive substances) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
(With agency inputs)
