Grenades, launcher found in bag outside Allahabad railway station

An under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) and four grenades were found in an unclaimed bag near the Allahabad railway station on Friday.

An under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) and four grenades were found in an unclaimed bag near the Allahabad railway station on Friday.

A passerby spotted the abandoned bag and alerted the government railway police (GRP). The GRP seized the UBGL and the shells and handed them over to army personnel for further investigation.

Superintendent of police, GRP, KP Singh confirmed the incident the weapons were found inside a bag that was lying under a tree, just a few metres away from one of the entrance gates of the station.

GRP officials along with members of bomb disposal squad, anti-terrorism squad, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the local intelligence personnel reached the spot and carried out investigations.

Army officials, who were also called in, confirmed that the seized weapon was an under barrel grenade launcher used by army and paramilitary units.

“The four shells, which were moist, are used with the same weapon and explode only when fired with the UBGL,” Singh added.

“Army officials are now in touch with different ordnance factories in the country to ascertain the source and manufacturing place of the launcher,” Singh said.

“We are in the process of lodging an FIR against unidentified persons in connection with the recovery,” the official said.