Personnel from Navi Mumbai police stations have been meeting representatives of housing societies, schools and commercial institutions to help them understand what they should do in case they find suspicious objects on their premises.

The initiative comes in the wake of an IED-like device found outside a school in Kalamboli on June 17.

Police officials are also warning housing societies of action if they do not inform them about suspicious tenants. The Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner has said the Kalamboli incident could have been a dry run by antisocial elements. “Following the incident, the police stations have been instructed to conduct meetings with schools, societies and commercial institutions to make them aware of the situation and to be alert. They have been told that in case any suspicious object is found, they should not touch it and should inform the police. Till the police team reaches the spot, it should be isolated,” Sudhakar Pathare, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone I, said.

The local police will then inform the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), after which they would check the suspicious object.

On tenants, Mr. Pathare said, a no-objection certificate from police is mandatory and if any society allows a tenant to stay in the premises without it, police would take action against office-bearers under Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code. Societies have especially been asked to keep an eye on any 'suspicious' tenant living alone.

Meanwhile, Navi Mumbai police are awaiting forensic reports of the suspicious device that was destroyed by the BDDS team on June 18 at an open space in Kalamboli.

“The report should be ready by this week. We will have to figure out the exact compound used in the device todetermine if there was any explosive,” said Dr. Krishna Kulkarni, Director of the Forensic Science Laboratory.