Nagpur: Fifteen live gelatin sticks and 58 detonators, including eight strapped with connectors, were recovered on Tuesday from garden of a college principal, Prof Ujwal Lanjewar’s residence, in Central Nagpur, barely 5km off RSS headquarters. Panic struck the city with bomb detection and disposal squad, Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) officials, anti-terrorist squad, and other central and state agencies rushing to the spot after the professor’s family dialled the police control room in the morning.Sources said the 25mm detonators, each weighing 125gm, totalled 2kg of explosives. “These were live and dangerous,” said a bomb disposal squad official. Talking to TOI, a top explosives expert said, if the cache had detonated simultaneously, it could have created an impact of an IED blast or that triggered by artillery shells. “There could have been mayhem with a petrol pump barely 15metres away at Dosar Chowk and a Metro track 14feet above,” he added. The explosives were shifted to a safe magazine in Kalmeshwar for analysis. A case has been registered under the Explosives Act against unidentified persons.Police sources told TOI ammunition dealer has been identified. Multiple police teams are now verifying movement of the ammo and its handler. Security has been stepped up and the city was placed on alert. Police commissioner Ravinder Singal, who visited the spot, stated the source of the explosives would be identified soon. Anti-sabotage drills were performed, and no angles are being ruled out, joint CP Navinchandra Reddy told TOI. The detonators and live gelatin cartridges belong to an explosives manufacturing company in Katol, where a devastating blast killed 26 workers and injured several others last month.Another expert stated if gelatines were detonated, explosions would have been localised, but there could have been casualties. “Those in the 10m vicinity would have suffered critical burns or even died. Nearby houses could have been wrecked, walls and glass panes shattered,” he added.Prof Lanjewar’s son Ojas spotted the suspicious packets, which the family said lay there for nearly a week as they mistook the packets as harmless waste. “Stray dogs or rodents may have nibbled at the plastics, exposing the sticks,” said the professor’s elder son, Amog. Realising the danger, the family alerted police. The materials were safely collected and sealed by PESO and forensic experts.The spot is also close to a busy commercial area, a petrol pump, mechanic shops and an auto stand. Sources stated PESO confirmed the stock belonged to the production batch of the ammunition factory in Katol as current inventory there remains intact. Rural police too despatched a team to the factory for checking the explosive stock, but found nothing amiss.Talking to TOI, Prof Lanjewar said, “I do not suspect anyone. But this is life threatening and I want police to conduct a thorough probe to trace the source.”A senior police officer said, “We are on high alert. Searches and investigations are going on in full swing to find out who dumped these explosives and why. “We have summoned neighbours with whom the family had minor disputes, and others for questioning,” said an official at Ganeshpeth police station.City police are mapping all dealers, distributors, retailers, and employees linked to the company to trace any missing stock or internal pilferage. Rural police are also assisting with logistics and factory details.The plastic bags are being examined for clues. Though the Lanjewar home has CCTV, the exact garden spot where the bags were dumped is outside camera coverage.
