Thiruvananthapuram: The rural police on Tuesday recovered a "dummy grenade" of the type used to train combatants from a culvert at Kappamvila in Kallambalam police station limits. A major anti-explosives operation was under way in Attingal police sub-division limits following the recovery.

Dy.SP, Attingal, B. Sasidharan said the replica weighed nearly 600 gm. It was discovered by a group of children on Monday night. He said the "grenade" was wrapped in a green cloth with the markings of a religious community. Explosive experts, who inspected the find, said there were no markings on the "grenade" and it was difficult to identify from where it was sourced.

The police were investigating whether the regional training centre of the Central Reserve Police Force here used similar devices to train recruits. Another official said terrorist organisations and fundamentalist outfits also used such "fake grenades" to train their cadre.

The police were working on several theories. The "fake grenade" was found in the regional stronghold of a political organisation believed to be anti-national and religious fundamentalist in nature by the State Home Department.

The Crime Branch police had investigated some activists of the organisation at Kallambalam in connection with the murder of Sunil Kumar, a district functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, who was hacked to death by an unidentified gang in Kilimanoor in June. The police suspect the "fake grenades" could have been placed there by elements interested in portraying the local activists of the organisation as terrorists.

Another police theory is that some person could have abandoned the "dummy grenade" after the police started searching houses and private premises at Kallambalam for hidden caches of explosives. The police inspected the houses of several political activists and known criminal elements last week.

The third theory was that the "dummy grenade" could be of the type used in terrorist training camps in certain neighbouring countries.

"If that is the case, then we should suspect that certain elements here are in touch with such anti-national groups operating in Kashmir and other regions such as Andhra Pradesh," an official said.

Explosives seized

The Kazhakuttam police seized nearly 100 kg of explosives from a house at Menemkulam. A local businessman, Surendran, 58, was arrested in connection with the seizure. He was produced before the magistrate court under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The court granted bail to the accused. The Police Department has decided to bring the matter to the attention of the Chief Judicial Magistrate on Wednesday, an official said.

Circle Inspector, Kazhakuttam, Pramod Kumar said the accused had licence to sell explosives.

The police case was that the accused illegally diverted the explosives to criminal elements, including two persons against whom the police had recently issued look-out notices.

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