Nagpur: What triggered panic as an ‘improvised explosive device' (IED) tucked in a shoe box turned out to be a school's science project on a ‘defence theme'. The Shubham Nagar area of Palkar Layout here was thrown into chaos when a bomb alert call was sounded from the locality on Wednesday after a person spotted batteries and an electrical circuit in a shoe box at his residence.
The bomb detection and disposal squad rushed to the spot and moved the suspected material to a desolate place for detonation. However, they did not proceed after discovering it was merely a school project. City schools were reportedly encouraged by VNIT to promote scientific projects themed on 'defence' and two students of a Wanadongri-based school designed a shoe with a mechanism that converts mechanical to electrical energy, when soldiers march wearing them. Stored electrical energy is also used to charge batteries and other devices. After presenting it in school on October 20, a student asked his friend to take the project home and display it to his parents. The first student showcased the project, but the other did not. Unfortunately, his parents mistook it for an IED and raised a false alarm, leaving cops on high alert.
Dhaniram Naik was alerted by his wife after she spotted a strange shoe box at their house with batteries and a circuit. Naik, who worked with a private company, was startled after seeing the shoe box. He cautiously lifted it and left it in an open field nearby. He also dialled 112 to alert police. A patrolling officer from MIDC police station reached the spot and raised an alarm. Presuming trouble, senior inspector Mahesh Chavan alerted Zonal DCP Lohit Matani and the bomb disposal squad.
Sources stated Naik's son left school at 11am, without informing parents on the unique shoe box project he put together with a friend. The situation lightened after the bomb squad declared there was no detonator in the shoe box. DCP Matani observed that the box appeared to be a school project and sent his team to Naik's son's school. The cops were relieved after Naik's son and his friend admitted that it was a school project. The principal of the school was summoned to verify the authenticity of the school assignment.
Senior inspector Chavan stated an entry was recorded in the station house about the incident. "We are still trying to ascertain how students came up with the shoe box concept, but there is no foul play. It's a case of a hoax call, but all standard operating procedures were followed," said Chavan.