The design of the iron pipe bomb found behind a private supermarket at Uthangudi near here on Tuesday was similar to the one found near the residence of Union Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office V. Narayanasamy at Puducherry recently.
A police officer investigating the case said 19 ordinary detonators were inserted inside the pipe, filled with ammonium nitrate-based explosive, used in quarries. Two safety fuses, which were partially burnt, were also found protruding from the pipe, which was sealed on both sides.
Though the police suspect the handiwork of Tamil extremists behind the incident, they are yet to ascertain the motive and the actual perpetrators of the crime.
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The officer said the perpetrators had actually set the safety fuse on fire. However, the fuse had not fully burnt to set off the detonators. “It could have created a huge damage to the building because of the large quantity (3.5 kg) of gel used,” the officer said.
Besides, the perpetrators had chosen to pack the explosives in an iron pipe with the intention of creating more pressure for higher impact. Placing a bottle of petrol near the bomb was to add to the impact of the blast by igniting fire, the police said.