JOIN USAhmedabad crime branch on Wednesday recovered 49 crude bombs allegedly brought in from Uttar Pradesh to create disturbances in the city and across Gujarat.
The crime branch arrested Mohammad Irfan alias Bala Shahfakir (20), a resident of Rahimnagar in Narol, the city’s industrial part, following information that two crude bomb makers were camping in Narol area.
While Irfan is believed to be the carrier who received bombs, the main accused has been identified as Altaf alias Sameer, a native of Uttar Pradesh.
During preliminary interrogations, Irfan claimed he was asked to keep the crude bombs at his residence and had no role in making them.
Major threat
Confiscation of crude bombs ahead of the forthcoming Jagannath Rath Yatra is viewed as a major security threat in Ahmedabad. The Jal Yatra of Lord Jagannath began on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the annual Rath Yatra scheduled for July 18 this year.
Ahmedabad DCP-Crime Deepan Bhadran said: “It appears that Rath Yatra was their main target and they were in the process of assembling more crude bombs before the festival”.
Crime branch officials added that the suspects appeared to be working for a group associated with terror and anti-social activities that wanted to cause large-scale damage in the state.