The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Blasts send police into a tizzy

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Saturday, Jul 26, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Blasts send police into a tizzy

Staff Reporter

Bus stations, railway stations thoroughly searched
Police struggle to keep curious crowds at bay

BANGALORE: Following the first-ever serial blasts in Bangalore on Friday afternoon, the police went into a tizzy and deployed bomb squads and sniffer dog squads in search of bombs in many central parts of the city and near the places where the explosions took place.

Public places such as bus stations and railway stations were thoroughly searched by the police even as Director-General and Inspector-General of Police R. Srikumar appealed to the citizens to remain calm and not to heed to rumours.

At several blasts sites, including the one at Madiwala check-post that claimed the life of a woman, police struggled to keep the public at bay as hundreds of curious onlookers barged into the cordoned off area. Similar situation was witnessed at Nayandahalli on Mysore Road, Anepalya and Rajarammohun Roy Road.

While the surging crowd gave anxious moments to the police, the afternoon rainfall threatened to wash away the evidence in several places. The police were trying to cover the blast site near Kengeri RTO with a plastic sheet to protect the area till the forensic science experts arrived.

Police sources said that one of the common links in the serial blasts was that except at Rajarammohun Roy Road where the improvised explosive device (IED) was kept in a plastic bin, at the other places, the IEDs containing bolts, shrapnels and ammonium nitrate slurry were wrapped in a plastic cover.

Towards late evening, most Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses were running almost empty and most thoroughfares remained deserted.

Information

Mr. Srikumar has requested the public to pass on the information regarding the blasts via SMS to 94d806-90069 or email messages, photos and videos related to blasts to adgplo@ksp.gov.in and webcomplaints@gmail.com. He has promised confidentiality of the information shared with the police.

Compensation

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Shobha Karandlaje announced a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh to the family of the deceased. Ms. Shobha, who along with Minister for Information Technology Katta Subramanya Naidu visited some of the blast sites, told presspersons that the Government would also bear the medical expenses of those injured in the blasts.

Condemned

K. Rahman Khan, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, has condemned the bomb blasts in Bangalore. In a message, he said that anti-social elements in order to disrupt peace had resented to this nefarious act.

The former Home Minister P.G.R. Sindhia condemned the serial blasts and appealed to the Government to order an inquiry immediately. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the Intelligence Department had failed to identify the activities of the anti-social elements.

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