Police arrested a Naxalite activist and seized explosives, along with a pressure cooker that could be used for setting off bomb blasts, from his possession in Chandauli district late on Monday evening.
Terrorists had used pressure cooker bombs in the Sankat Mochan Temple and Cantonment railway station blasts here on March 7, 2006, killing 16 persons. A third pressure cooker bomb was defused in the busy Dashaswamedh area of the city that day.
Monday evening's recovery of the pressure cooker and explosives seems to indicate that Naxalites have taken a leaf out of other terrorists' book.
Police said Ghanshyam Vishwakarma was arrested from Murarpur crossing. He is a resident of Hetampur village, under Chakia police station, in the Naxalite-infested Chandauli district.
Police sources said various agencies had set a trap for Ghanshyam on the basis of intelligence inputs that he was involved in Naxalite activities.
Sources said five detonators, five sealed explosive packs, both in liquid and powder form, and a huge quantity of wires used for planting bombs were recovered from his house in Hetampur village. A new pressure cooker was also found, they said.
“After his arrest, the house was raided. We were stunned when the team found the explosives,” Chanaduli Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar told Hindustan Times on the phone on Tuesday.
Ghanshyam initially denied his involvement in Naxalite activities, the SP said. However, he added, when the explosives were shown to him, Ghanshyam confessed he had been associated with Naxalites over the past year.
{{/usCountry}}Ghanshyam initially denied his involvement in Naxalite activities, the SP said. However, he added, when the explosives were shown to him, Ghanshyam confessed he had been associated with Naxalites over the past year.
{{/usCountry}}Sources said Ghanshyam revealed some 'big names' who were also associated with Naxalite activities. However, police said, the allegation was being verified. He has been booked under Section 16/20/23 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Section 3/4 of the Explosives Substance Act and Section 121(A) of the IPC. He was being interrogated, the SP added.
Earlier, the police had seized a truck carrying explosives in the Shankargarh area of Allahabad.
The truck had been carrying 750 kilogram of ammonium nitrate and more than one thousand detonators.