Madurai: Country-made bomb goes off on railway line

MADURAI: A country-made bomb went off on the under construction Bodi-Madurai railway line at Mahalakshmi Nagar near Palanganatham in Madurai. However, no one was injured in the incident.

Police said that the explosion, which took place around 9am near a thickly-populated residential area was heard up to a few 100m away, creating panic among the residents. Police teams rushed to the spot and conducted inquiries. Higher officials, including south zone IG and city police commissioner in-charge K P Shanmuga Rajeswaran visited the spot and inquired with the locals.

A bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS), anti-sabotage squad and a dog squad were swung into action. BDDS officials said that about 250g of cracker powder could have been used in the making of the bomb. Thirty small iron balls and 10 nails, which were used in the bomb were collected by the BDDS.

It came to light that the bomb fell along with the garbage dumped by an elderly man from Mahalakshmi Nagar, who was later identified as Muthu, 80. The city police suspect that his grandson Praveen could have possessed it. The Subramaniyapuram police had registered a robbery case against him in 2017. His elder brother is working in the police department in Chennai and his mother was staying with him. Praveen’s phone was switched off ever since the incident took place.

Deputy commissioner of police (law and order) V Sasi Mohan ruled out any possibility of sabotage and said that that it was purely an accident. Although the incident took place close to the railway line, they have asked the the Subramaniyapuram police to register a case. They are searching for Praveen, he said.

Shanmuga Rajeswaran said that they have conducted an inquiry with a woman called Vallatharasi, who witnessed the incident. The remaining explosive substance has been collected and sent for scientific analysis.