The Hindu : Front Page : Grenades seized

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 11, 2006

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Grenades seized

Sarabjit Pandher

CHANDIGARH: The police seized 114 grenades, mostly rusted, found at a construction site in the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar on Tuesday. It is believed the devices were of `Operation Bluestar' vintage and buried by the group, which accompanied the firebrand militant leader, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Dalmegh Singh, secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), said the devices were noticed when labourers were digging the earth for laying the foundation for an administrative block. The SGPC recently demolished a dilapidated structure, which was used during the army action by Sant Bhindranwale, who had set up his temporary headquarters in the adjoining Guru Nanak Niwas building.

Experts summoned

On being alerted by SGPC authorities, a police team supervised further digging, which yielded the buried devices. Forensic experts and a bomb disposal squad were summoned. The police believe that the recovered weapons are HE-36 grenades, used by militants then. The fuse pins of some grenades are still intact.

While the district police have stopped digging work at the site until experts arrive for monitoring, the SGPC has instructed those engaged in construction in and around the shrine to be on the lookout for more buried weapons and ammunition.

The flow of pilgrims to the shrine was not affected.

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