Panic gripped the civil station complex here at 10.50 a.m. on Wednesday following a bomb explosion. One person, identified as Sabu, suffered serious injuries in the face from the explosion but there were no other casualties. The explosion was from an improvised explosive device (IED) planted in a jeep of the Labour Department parked near the munsif court inside the complex.
The IED was kept inside an aluminium snack box and planted near the left hind wheel of the jeep. The explosive was connected to a battery to detonate it at a given time.
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Preliminary investigation showed that the explosives planted with technical perfection were of low intensity. The intention could be to create a scare.
City Police Commissioner Sateesh Bino said eight police teams had been constituted to investigate the case. He said a time device was used to detonate the bomb. Seventeen batteries, 14 fuses, and shattered pieces of the snack box had been recovered from the site.
The batteries used were similar to those used in Chinese toys.
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The jeep was partially damaged in the impact of the explosion. The vehicle, which had some technical snags, was not being used. Last Friday, it was brought out of the shed and parked under a tree.
The civil station complex also houses various courts, including the District and Sessions Court. Following the explosion, all trials and hearings before the courts were cancelled or postponed.
As a security measure, District Collector A. Shainmol declared a holiday for various offices in the complex. The injured man had come to appear before a court in connection with a civil case. He is suspected to have been hit by some flying object in the impact of the explosion. Following the explosion, a huge police team led by Mr. Bino and Assistant Police Commissioner K. Laji took control of the complex. Inspector General of Police (Thiruvananthapuram Range) Manoj Abraham inspected the scene.