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Crude bombs, weapons found in an abandoned autorickshaw in Kolkata
The seizure of crude bombs and firearms comes weeks after the state police carried out a 10-day drive to recover illegal arms and ammunitions on the orders of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
The Kolkata Police have seized 19 crude bombs, a country-made revolver and two live cartridges from an abandoned auto-rickshaw parked next to children’s home in Kolkata.
“We have recovered some bombs, a fire arm and two ammunitions from an auto-rickshaw in Haridevpur. Investigation is going on,” said Swati Bhangalia, deputy commissioner of Kolkata Police’s south west division.
The seizure sparked off tension in the area and among the authorities of the children home.
“There are 26 children living in the home at present. We were terrified when we heard the news,” said Biswajit Maity, superintendent of the home.
This comes weeks after the state police carried out a 10-day drive to recover illegal arms and ammunitions on the orders of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The chief minister had ordered the police to conduct a special drive after nine persons were burnt alive in Birbhum following the killing of a TMC leader in March.
“This is very peaceful residential area. Police recovered some bombs and arms and ammunition around 1:30am on Saturday. The police have been asked to investigate thoroughly and identify the culprits,” said Subhasis Chakraborty, TMC MP who lives in the area.
Locals said that the plot belongs to a local club which had given the space on rent to a company for using it as a garage. Police are now scanning the footage of close circuit television cameras installed in the area to identify the miscreants.
The incident triggered a slugfest between the TMC and the BJP.
“This is nothing new. Panchayat elections are approaching. The TMC’s extortion racket cannot be sustained without illegal arms and bombs. But whatever has been recovered is just the tip of an iceberg,” said Sukanta Majumdar.
“The arms may have been brought to attack a TMC leader. I don’t know the details. Police is investigating,” said Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson.
