A powerful improvised explosive device (IED) packed with five and half kilograms of TNT and kept concealed in a bag was recovered from a coach of the Guwahati-bound AlipurDuar-Kamakhya Intercity Express and later defused near Kendukona in lower Assam’s Kamrup district on Monday afternoon. The recovery of the IED was made five days ahead of two-day scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Assam on November 29-30.
Superintendent of Police, Government Railway Police Rounak Ali Hazarika told The Hindu that the IED was powerful enough to blow up the passenger train and inflict heavy casualty on its passengers. He said that the IED was concealed in a bag and kept on the passage near the toilet of the coach number 4 of the train. The SP said that the IED had no timer device or electronic circuit but was designed to be an anti-handling device with complex wiring which meant that it would have blown off the moment anyone tried to tamper with it.
Guwahati targetted
He also said that Guwahati city was suspected to be the target of the planters of the IED. The train runs between Alipur Duar junction in West Bengal and Kamakhya junction in Guwahati.
Giving details of the recovery and subsequent defusing of the IED, Mr Hazarika said that he was tipped off by the Headquarters of the Special Branch of the Assam Police about the presence of the bomb inside the train coming from Alipurduar in West Bengal and bound for Guwahati. “We swung into action but by that time the train had already started moving after it had left Rangiya junction. During intensive search inside the train we found an unclaimed bag on the passage near the toilet of the coach number 4. We sounded an alert and train was brought to a halt at Kendukona station. Dog squad of the Railway Protection Force came and sniffer dog confirmed presence of explosive inside the bag. All the passengers of the train were quickly evacuated and the bomb was isolated from the train. Later Bomb disposal team of the Army defused the IED with the help bomb disposal robot,” he added.
The SP said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the IED was planted inside the train at Simaltapu station in West Bengal and the investigation is on to ascertain as to which outfit had planted it. Mr Nripendra Bhattacharyya, Public Relations Officer of N.F. Railway, said that after the security clearance the train left Kedunkona station with all the passengers for Kamkhya after about one hour.
Security beefed up
Meanwhile the security measures have been beefed up across the State in view of Prime Minister’s scheduled visit.
Mr. Modi is scheduled to flag off the first train from Meghalaya and lay the foundation stone for the Bhairibi-Shairang new railway line to be laid in Mizoram, at a function to be held at the Railway Stadium in Maligaon, the headquarters of the Northeast Frontier Railway on November 29. The next day the prime minister is scheduled to address the conference of DGP and IGPs to be held at the Assam Administrative Staff College here and also address party workers at Sarusajai StadiumMr Modi is scheduled to flag off the first train from Meghalaya and lay the foundation stone for the Bhairibi-Shairang new railway line to be laid in Mizoram, at a function to be held at the Railway Stadium in Maligaon, the headquarters of the Northeast Frontier Railway on November 29. The next day the prime minister is scheduled to address the al-India conference of DGP and IGPs to be held at the Assam Administrative Staff College here and also address party workers at Sarusajai Stadium
