BENGALURU Six police officers, including a sub-inspector, have been suspended after explosive materials and crude electronic components were found along a highway designated for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy earlier this month, officials said, calling it a security failure.
The security breach occurred on May 10 near the Vaderahalli Gate in the Bengaluru South district, only hours before Modi was scheduled to travel the route to attend an official event at the Art of Living Foundation’s ashram.
The oversight came to light around 9 am when a constable on high-security patrol spotted a suspicious cardboard box near Kuppareddy Lake, sitting beside the road near the Bhairava Mandya Uppusaru Mudde Hotel. Local law enforcement and security agencies immediately deployed a Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad to the scene.
Technicians inspecting the container discovered gelatin sticks wrapped in adhesive tape, alongside batteries, wires, and a crude circuit-like assembly. While initial assessments suggested the materials might have been discarded from a nearby quarry operation, the presence of electronic circuitry has escalated the matter into a wider multi-agency investigation.
Senior investigators noted that the combination of explosive substances and circuitry resembled components sometimes used in improvised explosive devices, though officials stressed that the setup found at the scene was incomplete and incapable of causing an immediate explosion.
{{/usCountry}}Senior investigators noted that the combination of explosive substances and circuitry resembled components sometimes used in improvised explosive devices, though officials stressed that the setup found at the scene was incomplete and incapable of causing an immediate explosion.
{{/usCountry}}“Gelatine sticks alone could indicate illegal transport or quarrying use,” a senior police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the investigation is still ongoing. “But when you find circuitry, wires, and batteries together with explosive material, investigators are bound to examine whether there was an attempt to fabricate some kind of IED mechanism.”
Specialists conducted an intensive security sweep of the entire corridor leading to the ashram before certifying the route safe for the prime minister’s motorcade.
Disciplinary action followed a preliminary internal investigation into the security failure. On Saturday, Srinivas Gowda, the Superintendent of Police for Bengaluru South, formally suspended the sub-inspector, an assistant sub-inspector, and four constables assigned to the route.
“The personnel assigned to the Prime Minister’s security route failed to maintain the level of alertness and vigilance expected during such a high-security movement,” Gowda said on Sunday. “Based on the preliminary findings, disciplinary action has been initiated against six staff members for negligence in duty.”
Local authorities are working to determine how the components were left in a highly monitored zone despite the extensive security protocols put in place for the leader’s visit. Investigators are examining whether the materials were intended to create a larger security scare, though they confirmed the device lacked the necessary parts for detonation.
“The setup recovered was not in a workable condition for an immediate blast or detonation,” another senior officer said. “No timer-based triggering mechanism or operational detonator has been found so far.”
Forensic and technical analyses on the seized items are underway, and investigators are reviewing security camera footage from the surrounding area while questioning local residents. The investigation remains ongoing.