ATS team reaches Neemuch to probe massive explosives seizure

A three-member team of the Madhya Pradesh’s anti-terrorist squad (ATS) was in Javad to investigate the seizure of 1,479 gelatin sticks and 1,600 electrical detonators that took place on November 23.

A three-member team of the Madhya Pradesh’s anti-terrorist squad (ATS) was in Javad to investigate the seizure of 1,479 gelatin sticks and 1,600 electrical detonators that took place on November 23.

Javad police town inspector (TI) TC Pawar said the three-member ATS team was accompanied by a bomb disposal squad (BDS) and the two persons arrested with the gelatin sticks and detonators were questioned by them.

TI Pawar said the team went through the details of the seizure and also checked the background of the two arrested persons. The matter is being being thoroughly investigated and teams have been sent to Rajasthan, and more arrests could follow.

On November 23, the Javad police had arrested 24-year-old Arif, son of Ishaq Mohammad, and 32-year-old Jagdish, son of Satyanarayan Jain - both residents of Bhadsoda in Chhittorgarh, Rajasthan.

They will be police custody till November 27 and will be quizzed on the motive behind bringing in such a huge cache of gelatin sticks and detonators.

Official sources said the massive seizure was a cause for worry because Neemuch is the biggest base for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), has the largest opium and alkaloid factories and is home to the Gandhi Sagar dam, one of the biggest man-made waterbodies in Asia.

It may be recalled that a few years back the central intelligence agencies had warned of an imminent suicide attack on the Gandhi Sagar dam.