Police recover seven gelatin sticks found under culvert in Gujarat village

However, the bomb disposal squad of Bhavnagar police plucked out detonators from the sticks and removed the explosive material from the place safely.

Superintendent of police (SP) of Bhavnagar district, Deepankar Trivedi said the explosives were not a bomb. “Yes, seven gelatin sticks and detonators have been found. But the material is certainly not a bomb. It was not packed into form of a bomb and the wire connected to the detonators was a telephone wire leading to nowhere but just lying along the road,” Trivedi told The Indian Express.

The SP said that the wire was not connected to any source of electrical power. “The wire did not lead to any premises nor did it have any power connection. No battery or power cells have been recovered either. Therefore, prima facie, we believe the explosive was not planted to cause any blast,” he said.

However, Trivedi added polie were probing all angles. “There are a number of licensed explosive shops which sell these kind of gelatin sticks and detonators to miners and farmers. A few farmers are digging up wells in nearby Tagdi village while stone quarrying is going on in Sartanpar, another village near Budhel. We are verifying their stocks and also stocks of explosive sellers,” the SP further added.

Trivedi said nobody was arrested or detained so far in this connection but added that police were questioning a few persons.

On the basis of a complaint filed by the sarpanch of Budhel village, Vartej police have booked unidentified persons for attempting to damage public road and attempt to damage public property.