Parcel blast case: Accused learned to make bombs on internet to target in-laws; arrested with aide

Ahmedabad: Two more persons have been arrested in connection with a blast in which two persons were injured after a parcel delivered at a house in Ahmedabad exploded, police said on Sunday.

The police apprehended the accused, Rupen Rao (44), who allegedly learned to make bombs and a country-made pistol on the internet to exact revenge on his estranged wife's friend Baldev Sukhadia, her father and brother, who he claimed had caused his separation, an official said.

The police have recovered two more bombs, a country-made pistol, cartridges and materials used to make the weapons from the accused, he said.

Rao's wife is in the process of getting divorced, and the proceeding is in court, the official said.

The blast that occurred at a row house in the Sabarmati area around 10.45 am on Saturday had left two injured.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Bharat Rathod said, "After the parcel delivered to Sukhadia's house in the Sabarmati area exploded on Saturday morning, we arrested one Gaurav Gadhavi from the spot. With the help of technical surveillance, Rao and his subordinate Rohan Raval (21) were apprehended in the night."

Police recovered two live bombs made using sulphur powder, gunpowder and an electronic circuit that appeared to be operated with a remote control, and a country-made pistol, which Rao made, Rathod told reporters.

He said Rao believed that Sukhadia had created a rift between him and his wife and kept him away from her and his children.

The official said the accused believed that his wife, father-in-law and brother-in-law made him feel weak because of a stomach ailment he suffered from.

The accused started learning about making bombs and weapons on the internet in three to four months to kill Sukhadia and his in-laws, separate his estranged wife from her family and make her feel lonely, the official said.

"So, Rao and the co-accused hatched a conspiracy to make remote-controlled bombs by using materials like sulphur powder, blades, batteries, charcoal, and gunpowder from fireworks. He also learned to make country-made pistols from the internet," Rathod said.

Raval worked with Rao for six months for monetary reasons.

The official said Raval first took the parcel with the bomb to Sukhadia's house Friday night. However, since their intended target was not in the house, he returned without delivering the parcel. The duo then sent Gadhavi to deliver the parcel the next day, and Raval stayed behind and used a remote control to detonate the bomb.

They also planned to kill Rao's father-in-law and brother-in-law in a similar manner, the DCP said.

While in pursuit of the accused, the police discovered two live bombs from a car, which were defused on time by the bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) and FSL teams. Police also recovered a country-made pistol from the same car, he said.

"The exact nature of the bomb will become clear from the FSL report, but prima facie, we understand that a person can die if such a bomb makes an impact on the vital part of the body," Rathod said.

Apart from two live bombs and a pistol, the police also recovered several materials used to make explosives and weapons at Rao's house.

Police recovered five live cartridges, four high-voltage battery cells, three incomplete country-made pistols of single and double barrels, 10 pipes of different sizes, two remotes, three mobile phones, nails and screws, boxes of blades, gas cylinders, drill machines, etc., police said.

The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act.