The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Hand grenade found at airport

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Wednesday, Jul 01, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Hand grenade found at airport

Special Correspondent

Sharath Srinivas, Deputy Commissioner, BDDS of the Bureau Civil Aviation Security, displays the hand grenade that was seized at the Chennai airport on Tuesday.

CHENNAI: A live hand grenade found abandoned on Tuesday at a car park near the Kamaraj domestic terminal of the Chennai airport was seized by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) of the Bureau Civil Aviation Security.

Airport Director K. Natarajan said that at 9 a.m., an attendant at the car park saw the material under a tree. He immediately alerted the airport manager on duty. Subsequently, the BDDS was informed.

At 9.15 a.m., a team led by the BDDS Deputy Commissioner, Sharath Srinivas, arrived at the spot and cordoned off the area. After a check, the BDDS authorities said that it was a ‘practising grenade’ used by armed forces. It was later taken to the BDDS office at the airport.

‘Practice Grenade 90, Mark 3 and lot number 78,’ were mentioned on the material, Mr. Srinivas said. Like a fire cracker, it would explode with a loud noise but not cause severe damage, he added.

Noting that paramilitary forces were using this type of explosives, Mr. Srinivas said, “It has gun powder, which is packed tightly. When it bursts, it will explode with a loud noise due to compression.” About 10 years ago, a similar hand grenade was found abandoned inside a terminal hall at the Kolkata airport.

Ruling out the possibility of some security agency planting the grenade to check alertness and preparedness of officials at the airport, Mr. Srinivas said, “It does not look like it was planted.”

Possibly someone who was in possession of the unexploded grenade would have abandoned it near the car park in view of the security check at the airport, he added.

The Airport Police has registered a case under Section 5 (punishment for making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances) of the Explosive Substances Act of 1908. So far, no clue was available. Further investigation is on, the Airport police said.

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