The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : No breakthrough yet in explosives seizure case

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Friday, Jun 19, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

No breakthrough yet in explosives seizure case

S. Vijay Kumar

6 special teams focussing on different aspects of investigation

CHENNAI: With no breakthrough yet in the seizure of improvised country-made explosives in Madurai early this week, investigators are probing various angles such as retaliatory attacks among gangsters, revenge killings and possibility of VIP convoy being targeted along the Ring Road.

According to police sources, six special teams are focussing on different aspects of the investigation. While one team is trying to locate the origin of the blades stuffed in the explosives, another team is making enquiries with stainless steel vessel manufacturers and traders.

“It appears that the blades, all of ‘Zorrik’ brand, were collected from a barber shop. The stainless steel vessels are known as ‘thiruku chembu’ and commonly used in Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts. VIPs arriving at the Madurai airport normally use the Ring Road to enter the city or go to nearby districts like Sivaganga…we are looking into these aspects,” a senior police officer said.

Some persons accused in a triple and a double murder case in Tirunelveli district recently are camping in Madurai to sign at the Tallakulam police station daily as part of the bail conditions. It was possible that the affected persons might have planned a retaliatory attack, he said. “Such explosives are common in southern districts. One person died and another was injured seriously when a bomb exploded when they were handling a ‘thirukku chembu vedigundu’ near a temple on the outskirts of Tirunenveli in 1997. There is information that the travel bag containing the bombs was actually placed under a bridge. It was shifted to the shrubs nearby by the person who thought the vessels were hundis and tried to open,” the official added.

A day after Intelligence Bureau and State Security Branch officials inspected security arrangements at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai, the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) K. Radhakrishnan on Thursday visited the scene from where the bombs were recovered. He reviewed the security arrangements with senior police officials.

Director General of Police K.P. Jain said there was no link to the seizure of explosives with the threat perceived by intelligence agencies to the Meenakshi Sundareswar Temple. “We do not have any evidence to connecting the seizure with the threat. However, some places named in repeated communications (by the intelligence) remain a matter of serious concern,” Mr. Jain told The Hindu.

A police official said the Meenakshi Sundareswar Temple was being guarded by a special security scheme involving 120 police personnel round-the-clock. “All the towers are guarded by armed police personnel. The security arrangement would continue,” he added.

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