A suspicious object found on board a train at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in Kurla triggered panic on Wednesday. The object was found to be a firecracker case following an operation by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), the Mumbai Police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
A senior RPF official said the object was found at 9.15 a.m. after a train entered the yard. “The train arrived around 8 a.m. and was taken to the yard for cleaning. Staff at the spot discovered the suspicious device,” the officer said. The object was placed in the general compartment at rear end of the train. “The RPF, the city police and the BDDS were alerted. The dog squad was also deployed,” he said.
Police officers said the device prima facie did not seem capable of causing damage. “We have sent the device to the forensic laboratory in Kalina to be doubly sure. No case has been registered. We will take a call after the forensic reports arrive,” an officer, who is part of the investigation, said.
Hunt on for accused
Deputy Commissioner of Police Manjunath Singe said the object contained a six-inch-long firecracker case with two small wires and a defused battery. “There was no explosive found by the BDDS team. Police officers are thoroughly investigating the matter,” he said.
The police have also started inquiries to trace the miscreants who planted the device on the train. The RPF official said they had checked all CCTV footage at LTT and are scanning the footage at stations where the train halted to identify the accused. A senior police officer said, “Anti-terror cells of all police stations have been instructed to start gathering intelligence. We have also informed the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad and shared all information with them.”
