A powerful detonator went off at a shop at West Meenakshinaickenpatti on the Palani-Dindigul Highway near Dindugul in the early hours of Thursday. The impact was so great that it ripped apart the roof and the petty shop was turned into a heap of rubble.
Local people on hearing the sound rushed to the street and tension prevailed in the area. The shop was owned by S. Shanmugam (41). After inspecting the spot, Superintendent of Police, T. Jayachandran said that investigations revealed that the bomb was a powerful one. Special teams have been constituted. Meanwhile, one of the teams searched the houses of Shanmugam and his relative Pandia Rajan and seized eight detonators from Shanmugam’s house. They also secured the duo.
Shanmugam was working in a stone quarry unit and his relative was looking after the petty shop. Reasons for keeping the detonators in the petty shop and at the house were not known.
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It may be recalled that two decades ago, an unused bomb went off at a scrap unit in the town when workers attempted to break it using an axe.